The function of membrane proteins is dependent on the lipid environment, but whether this is due to high-affinity, ligand-like linkage is unclear. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations and single-molecule FRET measurements now show that the dimerization of a chloride transporter is instead controlled by a preferential solvation mechanism.
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Lyman, E. When membrane proteins prefer lipids. Nat Chem Biol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-025-02084-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-025-02084-y
