Membranes, where lipids and protein meet

Membrane proteins have central roles in a vast number of vital cellular processes. A common structural feature of most membrane proteins is the presence of one or more hydrophobic alpha-helices that interact with the lipid bilayer. Because of the interaction with the surrounding lipids, the organization of these helices will be sensitive to lipid properties like fluidity and hydrophobic thickness. The helices may adapt to the lipids in different ways, which in turn can influence the structure and function of the intact membrane protein. In this review article, I will focus on how the lipid environment governs the signaling state of a transmembrane protein and in how the lipid bilayer influences the catalytic and substrate channeling role of a peripheral protein.