Probing conformational changes in rhodopsin using hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry

Abstract

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry is a powerful tool to evaluate changes in protein conformation between two or more states. Here, we describe a complete methodology that can be used to assess conformational changes in rhodopsin accompanying its transition from the inactive to activated state upon light exposure. This approach may be employed to investigate the structure and conformational changes of various membrane proteins.