Mallerie Carrasquillo-Rivera

Mallerie Carrasquillo-Rivera

Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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12 October 2024 in Crystals
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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JVJuan Carlos Villalobos-Santos
Juan Carlos Villalobos-Santos
MCMallerie Carrasquillo-Rivera
Mallerie Carrasquillo-Rivera
JRJosue Alejandro Rodriguez-Cordero
Josue Alejandro Rodriguez-Cordero
OQOrestes Quesada
Orestes Quesada
JLJosé Antonio Lasalde-Dominicci
José Antonio Lasalde-Dominicci
Obtaining high-resolution 3D structures of membrane proteins through X-ray crystallography remains a longstanding bottleneck in the field of structural biology. This challenge has led to the optimization of purification methods to acquire high-yielding, pure proteins suitable for crystallization. In this study, we performed crystallization screenings of purified human α4β2 nAChR using a polarized in meso method. After reconstituting the detergent-solubilized α4β2 nAChR into the LCP matrix, the samples were incubated in a polarized lipid matrix using the RMP@LMx device developed in our laboratory. The results showed that under these conditions, the α4β2-nAChR-LFC 16 complex gave a mobile fraction >0.8, suggesting that its diffusion in the polarized lipid matrix is favorable for crystal nucleation. Voltages above 70 mV restricted crystal formation due to sample dehydration. Furthermore, a lipid analysis using UPLC-ESI MS/MS revealed a profile necessary for preserving protein integrity and promoting diffusion across the LCP. We harvested a single crystal and subjected it to X-ray diffraction, resulting in reflections comparable to previous studies of the muscle-type nAChR from Torpedo californica. X-ray diffraction of a single crystal gave distinct low-resolution diffractions of protein nature. These findings lay the groundwork for further optimization of membrane protein crystallization in polarized in meso phases.