Transmembrane proteins are integral membrane proteins that interact extensively with the hydrocarbon chains of membrane lipids and can only be released from the membrane by agents that compete for these non-polar interactions (i.e., detergents).

Nearly all known integral membrane proteins span the lipid bilayer.

Transmembrane proteins do not rotate across a lipid bilayer and therefore have distinctive outer and inner surface functionality.

Hydropathy analysis can be used to locate possible transmembrane segments. Although not all segments can be located in this manner.

A number of transmembrane prediction sites exist on the web to aid in this detection process.

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