Polymers for Nanodiscs
Research has shown an increasing interest in using lipid bilayer nanodiscs formed by membrane scaffold proteins (MSPs), peptides, and synthetic polymers. MSPs require a preparation step using a detergent and signals from MSPs are often difficult to separate from those of the membrane protein of interest. Polymer-based nanodiscs are inexpensive, easy to make, and stable while also providing a detergent-free method for preparation. Several benefits accompany using polymethacrylate (PMA) derivatives for nanodisc preparation including easy control of synthesis by radical polymerization, allowing a variety of monomers with variations in side chains, and large scale production at low cost. PMA has been shown to spontaneously form nanodiscs through the fragmentation of the lipid bilayer.
Yasuhara, K., Arakida, J., Ravula, T., Ramadugu, S. K., Sahoo, B., Kikuchi, J. I., & Ramamoorthy, A. (2017). Spontaneous Lipid Nanodisc Formation by Amphiphilic Polymethacrylate Copolymers. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 139(51), 18657–18663. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.7...