Chapter 8 Flashcards
What does the endomembrane system include?
Organelles such as ER, Golgi, endosomes, lysosomes, and vacuoles
How does one study the endomembrane system?
Using autoradiography and electron microscopy (kills cells)
- Green fluorescent protein labelling (living cells)
How does one use autoradiography to study the endomembrane system? What discovery was made through this method?
Incubate tissue in solution containing labeled amino acids. These amino acids are then taken up by cells and incorporated into proteins. When tissues are viewed, you see large black dots where proteins are localized. This is how it was discovered that proteins are synthesized in the ER
_____ of the endomembrane system are part of an integrated network in which materials are shuttled back and forth
organelles
How are materials shuttled between organelles?
In membrane bound transport vesicles
Name and describe the pathways through the cytoplasm
Biosynthetic pathway - Synthesis, modification and transport of proteins
Secretory pathway - When proteins are discharged (secreted) from the cell either in continuous fashion (constitutive secretion) or in response to a stimulus (regulated secretion)
Endocytic pathway - Move from outer surface of cell to compartments such as endosomes
_____ is a method used to visualize biochemical processes using radiolabeled materials exposed to photographic film
Autoradiography
Describe how green fluorescent protein is used to study cytomembranes
IT is a protein isolated from jellyfish which emits green fluorescent light. GFP needs to be added to the protein of interest. A GFP-DNA chimera enables observe protein synthesis.
_____ determine where proteins are targeted/where they will go
Sorting signals
If GFP shows that the protein is in the golgi, how does one prove that it IS, in fact, the golgi?
You can prove it by doing a second run with GFP tagged “marker proteins” (proteins known to be present in the Golgi. You can also do “z” section - series of sections with x,y,z axes
Does centrifugation break open cells?
NO!!
How are organelles separated from one another for study?
Homogenizing cells, then performing subcellular fractionation. A series of centrifuge cycles can separate out “microsomes”, which are endomembrane vesicles
How can one separate rough and smooth ER?
homogenize solution until microsomes have been separated out. Then undergo sucrose gradient centrifugation. smooth have a low density, rough have a high density.
What is sucrose gradient centrifugation?
Gradient of increasing sucrose concentration established in centrifuge tube with ER pellet on top. After centrifugation, smooth ER should be on top and rough on bottom
________ systems do not contain whole cells and have provided information about the roles of proteins involved in membrane trafficking
Cell-free systems
Why is cell-free system research so helpful?
One can develop mutants for endomembranes, observe cell-free synthesis of proteins
Why is the study of mutant cytomembranes so important?
They provide insights about the functions of normal gene products.
Isolation of proteins from _____ has led to identification of homologous proteins in mammals
yeast
Describe the findings from studying yeast mutant ER
Mutation in gene for vesicle formation (Sec12) prevented vesicles from forming, building up ER volume.
Mutation in gene for vesicle fusion (Sec17) prevents vesicle fusion, resulting in a bunch of unfused vesicles
______ is the process in which cells produce small RNAs that bind to specific mRNAs and inhibit the translation of these proteins
RNA interference
How do scientists figure out which genes are involved in transportation of proteins?
By identifying small interfering RNAs that interfere with those process
Describe the components of the endoplasmic reticulum
Rough ER (covered in ribosomes), smooth ER (devoid of ribosomes). The luminal/cisternal space is inside the ER membrane, and the cytosolic space is outside.
Describe the rough ER
Composed of a network of flattened sacs called cisternae. Continuous with outer membrane of nuclear envelope and has ribosomes on cytosolic surface. Mostly functions in protein synthesis. Polarity in RER sometimes reflects flow from synthesis to discharge of proteins
Describe the smooth ER
Not covered in ribosomes. Functions include synthesis of steroid hormones (in endocrine cells), detoxification in liver, sequestration of calcium ions in muscle cells
Are ratios of Smooth ER to rough ER always the same?
No, they vary based on cell type. ex. pancreas cells have a lot of RER for secretion, whereas SER is prominent in muscle, kidneys
Describe the difference between synthesis of free ribosomes in rough ER and membrane bound ribosomes
Polypeptides synthesized by membrane bound ribosomes (attached to RER) incude secreted proteins, integral membrane proteins, soluble organelle proteins.
Polypeptides synthesized on “free” ribosomes include 1/3 of those encoded by human genome, cytosolic proteins, peripheral membrane proteins, nuclear proteins, proteins in cloroplasts, mitochondria, peroxisomes
The site of synthesis of a protein is determined by a sequence of amino acids at ______. This is called a ______.
N-terminus. Called a “signal sequence”
When a protein being formed, how does it enter the ER?
Moves into cisternal space through protein lined pore, which can occur cotranslationally or posttranslationally
What is a signal recognition particle (SRP)?
A particle which allows secretory proteins that have been synthesized on membrane-bound organelles to have their signal sequence recognized.
Describe how SRPs work
SRPs must interact with SRP receptor. The ribosome binds to the SRP receptor, and the nascent polypeptide is inserted into the translocon (protein-lined channel), where peptidases cleave the signal sequence
The release of SRP requires _____ proteins
GTP-binding proteins (G proteins)
What happens to a newly synthesized protein when it enters the RER lumen?
Sequence is cleaved by a signal peptidase. Carbohydrates are added by the enzyme oligosaccharitransferase and chaperones assist in folding. Protein disulfide isomerase adds disulfide bonds to cysteines (to aid in folding)
How are trans membrane proteins synthesized in the RER when they must be at least partially hydrophobic?
The translocon helps with proper orientation, and arrangement is determined by the orientation of the first trans-membrane segment inserted.
How are membranes synthesized in the ER?
Membranes must arise from preexisting membranes. Lipids are inserted, and proteins and lipids are modified as it moves from one compartment to another.
How do membranes remain symmetrical in vesicles?
Vesicles maintain a particular membrane orientation (membrane facing cytoplasm stays the same even when ejecting things from the cell)
What happens to membrane lipids synthesized in the ER?
New phospholipids are inserted into half of bilayer facing cytosol, then flipped by “flippases” if they need to be in the opposite leaflet
Which membrane lipids are synthesized in the ER?
Most are, but glycolipids and sphingomyelin are not
______ is addition of sugars to molecules. IT is catalyzed by ______
Glycosylation. Glycosyltransferases
Describe, step by step and in detail, glycosylation in the ER
- The lipid carrier dolichol phosphate, embedded in the ER membrane, has five mannose sugars and two NAG residues added to the cytosolic side
- Dolichol phosphate is flipped across the ER membrane
- Four mannose sugars and 3 glucose sugars are added by attaching to dolichol phosphate molecules facing the cytosol, which flips across the membrane and gives the sugars to the growing oligosaccharide
- After assembly, the oligosaccharide chain is transferred to asparagine residue of the nascent polypeptide (the protein currently being produced on the rough ER)
- The dolichol-PP is flipped across the membrane again to restart the process
How are ER synthesized glycoproteins quality controlled?
- All newly synthesized glycoproteins are tagged with a terminal glucose molecule, which is recognized by chaperones.
2a. If the glycoprotein is properly folded, glucose will be removed by glucosidase II and glycoprotein will detach from the chaperone, free to go.
2b. Chaperones should recognize misfolded proteins because hydrophobic regions will be exposed. If the chaperone fails to recognize that the glycoprotein is folded wrong, conformation-sensing enzymes (UGGT) re-add the terminal glucose. - Chaperones then try to fold it again. This can go on forever, unless the proteasome is activated, bringing the glycoprotein to the cytosol for degradation
In order to make a glycoprotein, what must happen?
Glycosylation - production of an oligosaccharide which will be added to the protein. 2/3 terminal glucose molecules are removed (to indicate that the protein is properly synthesized). After this, protein folding must occur (via chaperones). Terminal glucose is then removed
When misfolded proteins must be degraded, it is called ______
ER- associated degradation (ERAD)
What disease is a result of misfolded proteins not being degraded?
Cystic Fibrosis
what happens in the ER if misfolded proteins accumulate?
Unfolded protein response - BiP chaperone molecules (usually bound to sensors) are needed to refold proteins, which means they dissociate from sensors, triggering destructive enzymes, chaperones to refold proteins, proteins to transport them out of the ER.
The golgi complex is made of a stack of flattened _____
Cisternae
The ____ face of the golgi faces the ER, the ____ face is the opposite side of the stack
Cis, trans
N-linked glycosylation takes place in ____. How is this process continued as the glycoprotein moves through the cell to the ____?
ER. Golgi.
Once in the cis and medial cisternae of the Golgi, most of the mannose residues on the glycoprotein are removed and other sugars are added by glycosyltransferases.
____linked oligosaccharide modification occurs exclusively in the Golgi complex
O-linked
Sequence of sugars in oligosaccharides produced in the Golgi are determined by ______
Glycosyltransferases
What is the function of the cis Golgi network?
Sorts proteins for return to ER (if misfolded) or next sorting station (trans Golgi network)