A challenging requirement for X-ray crystallography or NMR structure determination of membrane proteins (MPs), in contrast to soluble proteins, is the necessary use of amphiphiles to mimic the hydrophobic environment of membranes. A number of new detergents, lipids and non-detergent-like amphiphiles have been developed that stabilize MPs, and these have contributed to increased success in MP structural determinations in recent years. Despite some successes, currently available reagents are inadequate and there remains a pressing need for new amphiphiles. Literature examples and some new developments are selected here as a framework for discussing desirable properties of new amphiphiles for MP structural biology.
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