ABSTRACT
Bacteriorhodopsin proteoliposomes have been characterized in detail in laboratory and were shown to meet all criteria to be very useful as model systems. The complexity of most biological membranes makes it difficult to study its individual components in situ. Phospholipid vesicles incorporating purified membrane proteins are therefore a powerful tool in order to elucidate at a molecular level functional as well as structural aspects of membrane associated enzymes. Sonication of a mixed suspension of lipids and isolated proteins has been widely used in the earlier stages of membrane proteins reconstitution to demonstrate the function of purified proteins. It is important to stress the necessity of such a thorough characterization of the reconstituted systems in addition to the functional criteria. The only suitable method reported in organic solvent-mediated reconstitution of membrane proteins is the reverse phase evaporation method.
