In Vivo Linking of Membrane Lipids and the Anion Transporter Band 3 with Thiourea-modified Amphiphilic Lipid Probes

Membrane proteins interact with membrane lipids for their structural stability and proper function. However, lipid–protein interactions are poorly understood at a molecular level especially in the live cell membrane, due to current limitations in methodology. Here, we report that amphiphilic lipid probes can be used to link membrane lipids and membrane proteins in vivo. Cholesterol and a phospholipid were both conjugated to a fluorescent tag through a linker containing thiourea. In the erythrocyte, the cholesterol probe fluorescently tagged the anion transporter band 3 via thiourea. Tagging by the cholesterol probe, but not by the phospholipid probe, was competitive with an anion transporter inhibitor, implying the presence of a specific binding pocket for cholesterol in this ~100 kDa protein. This method could prove an effective strategy for analyzing lipid–protein interactions in vivo in the live cell membrane.