Integral membrane protein
Definition
An integral membrane protein (also called IMP) is a protein molecule permanently attached to a biological membrane (such as a cell membrane or the membrane of an organelle in a eukaryotic cell).
Types
Integral membrane proteins are of two main types:
- transmembrane protein (also called integral polytopic protein)
- integral monotopic protein
Relation with other concepts
Broader concepts
| Concept | Meaning | Relationship with the concept of integral membrane protein | Intermediate notions |
|---|---|---|---|
| membrane protein | protein that interacts with a biological membrane, but not necessarily attached to it | integral membrane proteins are a special kind of membrane protein that is permanently attached to the membrane; the other kind are peripheral membrane proteins | |FULL LIST, MORE INFO |
Narrower concepts
| Concept | Meaning | Relationship with the concept of integral membrane protein | Intermediate notions |
|---|---|---|---|
| transmembrane protein | protein that is attached to both sides of the lipid bilayer of the biological membrane | transmembrane proteins are one kind of integral membrane protein (the polytopic type); the other type is integral monotopic proteins, that are attached to just one side | |FULL LIST, MORE INFO |
| membrane transport protein | protein that facilitates transport across the biological membrane | (via transmembrane protein) | Transmembrane protein|FULL LIST, MORE INFO |