Cell Bio Flashcards
NLS
Nuclear localization signal: short, basic amino acid sequence
Progeria
Mutation of Lamin A, characterized by rapid aging and cardiovascular disease; pts have shortered telomeres
Restrictive dermopathy
Laminopathy that prevents epithelium from growing; fetus “suffocates” in its own skin
Huntington’s disease
Neurodegenerative disease caused by improper localization of Huntingtin to the nucleus rather than the cytoplasm; caused by trinucleotide repeat expansion, acquires NLS
Factors affecting membrane fluidity:
- Number of double bonds
- Acyl chain length
- Temperature
More cis double bonds: more fluid
More trans double bonds: no kinks, less fluid
Longer acyl chains: less fluid
Lower temp: less fluid
Phospholipid fusogenicity: HIV/Measles vs. Rabies/Influenza
HIV and measles enter the cell by fusing with plasma membrane, whereas rabies/influenza enter by receptor mediated endocytosis and fuse with endosome membrane
Lysosomal storage disorders - causes
Defective lysosomes cannot break down sphingolipids, which then accumulate and cause disease
Fabry’s & Gaucher’s
Lysosomal storage diseases, sphingolipids cannot be metabolized correctly
Tay-Sach’s
Lysosomal storage disease; sphingolipid metabolism defect
Nuclear membrane assembly/disassembly
Nuclear lamins normally unphosphorylated
Early in mitosis, kinases phosphorylate lamins, causes chromatin-nuclear membrane connection to break, beginning disassembly
Late in mitosis, phosphorylase returns lamin to unphos. state, allowing chromosome decondensation and membrane assembly
Lipid raft
Microdomain comprised of stiffer phospholipids, moving through membrane to bring lipids and proteins together
Critical for signal transduction, endocytosis, rapid re-organization of membrane for ECM modification and motility
Steps of glucose transport into blood through intestinal epithelial cell
Lumen: low glucose, low Na+ (due to Na+/K+ pump moving K+ in and Na+ out); glucose moves against its gradient and Na+ moves with its gradient
Cell has higher conc. of glucose than lumen and bloodstream
Blood side: glucose pumped out by permease (no ATP required)
Na+/K+ ATPase moves more Na+ out
Familial hypercholesterolemia vs. Tangier’s disease
FH: defect in LDL receptor, build up cholesterol in blood causing atherosclerosis; revealed mech. of cholesterol transport into cells
TD: defect in ABC ATPase that pumps cholesterol out of cells, leading to atherosclerosis; revealed mech of cholesterol transport out of cells
I-cell disease
Caused by defect in M6Pase or defective M6P receptor; leads to buildup of lysosomal substrates since lysosomes lack their enzymes
Microtubules: subunit, accessory proteins, hyperstable structures; motors, functions, drugs, significance
Made of tubulin. MAPs and tau proteins are accessory. Comprise cilia, flagella, centrioles. ATPases are dynein (retrograde) and kinesin (orthograde). Function for motility of cell, form mitotic spindle, and transport organelles/cargo. Affected by taxol, vinca alkaloids. Significant in Karageners syndrome, chemotherapy, dementias (tau-opathies)
Microfilaments: subunit, accessory proteins, hyperstable structures; motors, functions, drugs, significance
Subunit is actin, acessory proteins are numerous (importantly profilin). Structure: sarcomere, microvilli with myosin motors. Functions in phagocytosis, cytokinesis, cell motility, force generation, membrane stabilization. Important in hereditary spherocytosis, listeria, vaccinia
Intermediate filaments: subunit, accessory proteins, hyperstable structures; motors, functions, significance
Made of lamins, keratin, neurofilamin, vimentin, desmin, GFAP. No accessory proteins. Comprise desmosome and hemidesmosome. No motors. Functions in mechanical integrity (nucleus, cell-cell, cell-matrix). Significant in laminopathies, blistering diseases, cancer diagnosis
Vimentin
Intermediate filament present in most mesenchymal cells, incl. endothelial cells and fibroblasts
Desmin
Intermediate filament present in muscle cells
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)
Intermediate filament present in glial cells (astrocytes)
Neurofilamin
Intermediate filament present in neurons
Keratin
Intermediate filament present in epithelial cells
Eicosanoids: classes and functions
Prostaglandins: PGE2 induces uterine contractions, vasodilation
Thromboxanes: TXA induces platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction
Leukotrienes: LTC4, LTD4, LTE4 induce vasodilation and bronchoconstriction in asthma; also play a role in anaphylaxis
Hereditary spherocytosis
Mutation in protein involved with membrane-cytoskeleton interactions in erythrocytes – results in misshapen erythrocytes, which cannot squeeze through splenic capillaries –> hepatosplenomegaly
Diseases involving phagocytosis
Legionnaire’s, streptococcus, tuberculosis, leprosy, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis/coccidosis, listeriosis
Diseases of receptor-mediated endocytosis
Familial hypercholesterolemia, rabies, influenza
Diseases of ABC ATPase transporters
Cystic fibrosis, tumor drug resistance (MDR), Tangier disease
Destination of proteins translated on membrane-bound ribosomes
ER, plasma membrane, secretory vesicles, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus
Destinations of proteins translated on free ribosomes
Peroxisomes, nucleus, mitochondria, cytoplasm
Nuclear localization signal
Peptide sequence that indicates a molecule should be transported into the nucleus, typically Lys-Lys-Arg-Pro-Arg. Mutations in this sequence result in localization in the cytoplasm
Diseases of defective peroxisomal targeting
Zellweger syndrome, neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy (NALD)