DETERGENT ORGANIZATION IN SOLUTIONS AND IN CRYSTALS OF MEMBRANE-PROTEINS

The use of neutron scattering in studying the organisation of detergen ts in pure micelles, in protein/detergent mixed micelles and in crysta ls of membrane proteins, is reviewed. Small angle scattering has been used to study the size, shape and composition of pure and mixed protei n/detergent micelles as well as the effects of adding small amphiphile s. The technique of contrast variation applied to single crystals is d escribed and its application to the determination of the organisation of detergent in single crystals of membrane proteins is discussed. A b etter understanding of protein/detergent interactions should help in p roducing crystals of membrane proteins more easily as well as giving c lues to the nature of protein/lipid interactions in vivo.