In Situ Reconstitution of the Adenosine A Receptor in Spontaneously Formed Synthetic Liposomes.

Cell transmembrane receptors play a key role in the detection of environmental stimuli and control of intracellular communication. G protein-coupled receptors constitute the largest transmembrane protein family involved in cell signaling. However, current methods for their functional reconstitution in biomimetic membranes remain both challenging and limited in scope. Herein, we describe the spontaneous reconstitution of adenosine A receptor (AR) during the de novo formation of synthetic liposomes via native chemical ligation. The approach takes advantage of a nonenzymatic and chemoselective method to rapidly generate AR embedded phospholiposomes from receptor solubilized in n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside analogs. In situ lipid synthesis for protein reconstitution technology proceeds in the absence of dialysis and/or detergent absorbents, and AR assimilation into synthetic liposomes can be visualized by microscopy and probed by radio-ligand binding.