Membrane Protein Aptamer Screening Service is a highly specialized contract research service designed to discover aptamers that bind to integral membrane proteins, such as GPCRs, ion channels, transporters, and receptor tyrosine kinases. This is one of the most challenging and technically demanding areas of aptamer development due to the inherent complexity of maintaining the native structure and function of membrane proteins outside their lipid environment. Unique Challenges & Solutions: Target Integrity: The target protein must be kept in its native, correctly folded conformation. Services use advanced systems like: Nanodiscs: Membrane proteins embedded in a lipid bilayer stabilized by a belt protein (e.g., MSP). Proteoliposomes: Reconstituted into lipid vesicles. Detergent Micelles: Using compatible mild detergents. Whole Cell-SELEX (or Cell-SELEX): Using live cells expressing the target protein, ensuring native presentation and post-translational modifications. Hydrophobicity: The screening process must manage hydrophobic surfaces to prevent non-specific selection of sequences that simply bind lipids or detergents through careful counter-selection strategies. Specialized Screening Workflow: 1. Project Design & Target Presentation: Define Target & Goal: Specify the membrane protein (e.g., human EGFR, specific GPCR) and desired aptamer function (antagonist, agonist, simple binder for detection). Choose Presentation Platform: This is the most critical decision. The provider will advise on the optimal system: Purified Protein in Mimetics: Best for defined specificity…
