Abstract
Biological membranes, composed of lipids and proteins, exhibit dynamic curvature that influences cellular processes such as division, transport, and signaling. Curvature–sensing proteins, like BAR domain proteins, are known in eukaryotes for recognizing membrane shapes and inducing structural changes. Recent studies show that prokaryotes also possess such proteins, like SpoVM in Bacillus subtilis and MamY in Magnetospirillum sp., stabilizing curved membranes. However, understanding the mechanisms of membrane structure regulation in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes remains unclear, and many more curvature–sensing proteins likely exist within cells. To address this, we developed a novel method using spherical supported lipid bilayers (SSLBs) for proteomic analysis to comprehensively explore these proteins. This method successfully identifies curvature-sensing proteins from various samples, including cancer, normal human cells, and Escherichia coli. This review emphasizes our novel techniques and discusses research outcomes, providing insights into the identification of these proteins and their roles in membrane dynamics.
