L1-5: Cells- Function, Transport, Growth & Division Flashcards
What can all life forms be traced back to?
Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA)
How did eukaryotes develop a mitochondria and chloroplasts?
Through endosymbiosis with bacteria, meaning eukaryotes are chimeras
What is a phylogenetic tree and what does it show?
It is an evolutionary history of a group of organisms
Inferred indirectly from nucleotide or AA sequence
Certain genes/proteins are globally distributed which allows global investigations of phylogenies
What is the most widely used phylogenetic marker?
small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene (SSU rDNA)
What are the 3 domains of an early phylogenetic tree?
Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya
What are the 2 different origins of eukaryotic compartments and membranes?
Endogenous which lead to development of the nucleus and RER
Exogenous which lead to development of the mitochondria
What is the archezoa hypothesis?
That the nucleus was first developed through endogenous origin using endomembranes
What was phase 2 of the archezoa hypothesis?
That the mitochondria was developed using endomembranes of exogenous origin
How are mitochondrial proteins encoded?
By the nuclear genome (>1000 proteins)
What were the first eukaryotes according to the archezoa hypothesis?
Anaerobes
What discoveries would make The Archeoza Hypothesis fall?
-Archeozoans branch among aerobic species with mitochondria
-Mitochondrial genes on archezoan genomes
-Mitochondrion-derived organelles are present in archezoans
Where do Archexoa contain mitochondrial proteins?
In double membrane bounded organelles called hydrogenosomes or mitosomes
How were chloroplasts developed in eukaryotes?
Through endomembranes of exogenous origins, which evolved after the eukaryotic cell
How was phagocytosis discovered?
Using the unicellular eukaryote Paramecium caudatum
What were chloroplasts and mitochondria derived from?
C: cyanobacteria
M: alpha-proteobacteria
Which membrane systems are related?
Gram negative bacteria, mitochondria and plastids
What are properties of the plasma membrane?
-Lipids and proteins are major components
-Enclose cell content separate from external environment
-Allow different concentrations of substances to be maintained
How are eukaryotic internal membranes (endomembranes) complex?
They allow separate compartments to have different constituents and functions
What are biological membranes made of?
Lipid bilayers and proteins
What are the functions of the plasma membrane and proteins associated?
-Communication with the environment + other cells
-Barrier functions of molecules in & out the cell
-Cell growth, shape change, movement, division
What type of genetic impacts are there on phenotype?
Deterministic and probabilistic
What does amphiphilic mean and which biological molecule relates the most to it?
A chemical compound is both hydrophilic and hydrophobic, lipids relate the most
What are the most common lipids in eukaryotes?
-Phospholipids (main type phosphoglycerides)
-Cholesterol (impacts membrane fluidity)
-Glycolipids
What are the 4 major phospholipids in the PM?
-Phosphatidylethanolamine
-Phosphatidylserine
-Phosphatidylcholine
-Sphingomyelin
-Sphingosine
What are glycolipids?
Sugar containing lipids
Where are glycolipids located?
Embedded into the PM facing away from the cytosol (to the apical side of epithelial cells)
What is the function of glycolipids?
Cell recognition process
Entry point for some bacterial toxins and viruses
What are 2 examples of glycolipids?
Galactocerebroside and GM1 ganglioside
What are features of membrane fluidity and lipid composition?
Fluidity modulates transporter and enzyme activity
Fluidity is precisely regulated ensuring survival
Lipid composition and temperature contribute to fluidity
Organisms can adjust composition of membrane
How are the membranes specific functions carried out?
Using membrane proteins
How is protein composition in membranes variable?
As protein composition determines functional repertoire
What are the different types of membrane-associated proteins?
Integral membrane proteins
Lipid attached proteins
Peripheral, membrane associated proteins (released by agents that disrupt protein-protein interactions)
What are the different functions of membrane proteins?
Transporters, linkers, receptors and enzymes that catalyse reactions at membrane surfaces
What is the use of membrane transport proteins?
Move nutrients, metabolites or ions across membranes
What is the use of membrane linkers?
They join membranes to intra or extracellular macromolecules (generate structures)
What is the use of membrane receptors?
They transduce signals from environment
Transport of ligand - plgR, transferring receptor (collect iron to import to cell)
How are hydrophobicity plots used?
They are used to identify the hydrophobic amino acids contained in the membrane
What is the most and the least hydrophobic amino acids?
Most: Isoleucine
Least: Arginine
How is the glycocalyx formed?
From glycoproteins and glycolipids
What is the function of the glycocalyx?
It protects cells against chemical, physical and biological damage
What are N-linked glycans?
Asparagine liked glycans
What are O-glycans?
Serine/Threonine linked
What are proteoglycans?
Glycoproteins with GAGs (glycosaminoglycan)
What are properties of glycosylation in humans?
Some glycoproteins have more than one type of glycan
Some rare genetic diseases relate to disruption of glycans formation
Glycans affect health and disease in numerous ways
What are the functions of the glycocalyx?
Protect (unwanted interactions distanced)
Allow adhesion (carbs binding proteins on other cell surfaces)
Recognise (cell type specific glycosylation patterns)
Store (bind and release growth factors)
What are the three domains of guinea pig sperm?
Anterior head, posterior head and tail
What are the 3 different energy driven transporters?
Coupled transporter
ATP-driven pump
Light-driven pump
What is FRAP?
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching
What are the 2 different ways the protein membranes can diffuse?
Cell fusion and FRAP
Where can proteins be restricted to?
A polarised distribution (apical, lateral and basal parts of membrane)
By cell-cell interaction
What are the properties of the 3 domains in guinea pig sperm?
The domains are completely separated and do not leave their domain
What is an example of cell-cell interaction when proteins are restricted?
Spectrin-based cytoskeleton in the red blood cell
What is an example of polarised distribution of membrane proteins?
In epithelial cells:
Apical - cotransporter
Basal - carrier protein, Na+/K+ pump
How do membrane bending proteins help shape membranes?
Using:
Protein wedges
Curved proteins
Protein binding to large heads of lipids
How is membrane bending beneficial?
Membrane shape regulated dynamically
Cellular processes require elaborate transient membrane deformations (vesicle budding, cell movements and division)
Which organelles are membrane-enclosed organelles with an interior/lumen?
ER, golgi apparatus, endosomes, lysosomes and peroxisomes
What are the 3 major types of transport?
Gated transport (nucleus)
Transmembrane transport (mitochondria)
Vesicular transport (golgi + ER)
Where does gated transport take place?
Through nuclear pores
How are proteins sorted and targeted?
By signal sequences using nuclear location signals, mitochondrial signal sequences and signals on N-terminal of proteins made by RER
What organelles does vesicular transport take place between?
Golgi, endosomes, lysosomes and plasma membrane
Where are most proteins made?
In cytosol