The Shape of Things to Come: α-Helical Membrane Protein Folding on the Ribosome
membrane protein folding. The mechanisms driving membrane protein folding remain elusive, largely due to the limited availability of approaches that can probe these processes both in real-time and in their native context. Here, we discuss recent progress in uncovering how membrane proteins fold during synthesis and insertion, and highlight how established and emerging biophysical and structural tools are beginning to resolve cotranslational events with greater mechanistic detail than has been previously possible. Together, these advances are reshaping our understanding of membrane protein biogenesis far beyond traditional refolding models.
Authors
- Kaylee Patel
- Benjamin Russell Lewis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0248-6177)
- Colin P. Pilkington (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3113-7611)
- Erin C Johnston (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7616-0778)
- Grant A. Pellowe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4314-5261)
- Edward Lambden (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9170-1077)
- Paula J. Booth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3893-360X)
- Marvin V. Dilworth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3088-6706)
- Juan Palacios-Ortega
- Zadie L. R. Baker
- Heather E. Findlay
Institutions
- Strand Life Sciences (India) (IN)
- Aston University (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- The Francis Crick Institute (GB)
- Membrane Technology & Research (United States) (US)
- Trinity House (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Chemical Reviews
- Published
- 2026-05-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.6c00236
- Primary Topic
- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- King’s College London
- Wellcome Trust
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Research England