Elisabeth P. Carpenter

TL;DR: Technological advances are emerging for effective expression, solubilisation, purification and crystallisation of membrane proteins, which will lead to a rapid increase in the rate at which membrane protein structures are solved in the near future.

TL;DR: The 2.85-angstrom resolution structure of the NCS1 benzyl-hydantoin transporter, Mhp1, from Microbacterium liquefaciens is reported, revealing that the outward- and inward-facing cavities are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the membrane.

TL;DR: The crystal structure of PepTSo is presented, a functionally similar prokaryotic homologue of the mammalian peptide transporters from Shewanella oneidensis, which reveals a ligand‐bound occluded state for the MFS and provides new insights into a general transport mechanism.

TL;DR: A number of recently determined membrane protein structures are analyzed to predict their locations within a membrane, their lipid/protein interactions, and the functional implications of an enhanced understanding of the local membrane environment of each protein.

TL;DR: Crystal structures of the human TREK-2 channel are presented in two conformations and in complex with norfluoxetine, the active metabolite of fluoxettine (Prozac) and a state-dependent blocker of TREK channels, providing an explanation for TREK channel mechanosensitivity, regulation by diverse stimuli, and possible off-target effects of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor Prozac.