Ala‐insertion scanning mutagenesis of the glycophorin a transmembrane helix: A rapid way to map helix‐helix interactions in integral membrane proteins

Alanine insertions into the glycophorin A transmembrane helix are found to disrupt helix-helix dimerization in a way that is fully consistent with earlier saturation mutagenesis data, suggesting that Ala-insertion scanning can be used to rapidly map the approximate location of structurally and/or functionally important segments in transmembrane helices.