M&R Flashcards
What are the predominant lipids?
Phospholipids
What is the composition of a membrane?
Dry weight : 60% protein 40% lipid 1-10% carbohydrate \+ 20% water
Describe the structure of a phospholipid
Glycerol backbone with 2 fatty acid chains and a phosphate connected to the head group
What are the head groups employed in phospholipids?
Cholines, amines, amino acids, sugars
Describe the structure of the fatty acid employed in phospholipids
C16-C18 most prevalent
Unsaturated (double bonds) in cis formation - introduces a kink
What does the kink in fatty acids of phospholipids achieve?
Reduces phospholipid packing
What is a cerebroside?
Sugar containing lipids where head group is a sugar monomer
What is a gangliosides?
Sugar containing lipids with a head group of sugar oligosaccharides
What two structures do amiphipathic molecules form?
Micelles - round droplets
Bilayers
How is a bilayer formed?
Spontaneous in water and driven by van der Walls forces between hydrophobic tails
How is the bilayer structure stabilised?
Non-covalent forces - electrostatic and hydrogen bonding between hydrophilic moieties and interactions between hydrophilic groups and water
How can lipid molecules move in lipid bilayers?
Intrachain motion
Rotation
Lateral diffusion
Flip flop
What are the three motions of membrane proteins?
Conformational change
Rotational
Lateral
Do not flip-flop
What are the restrictions on membrane protein mobility?
Aggregates
Tethering (intracellular and extracellular
Interactions with other cells
What are peripheral membrane proteins?
Proteins bound to the surface of membrane by electrostatic and hydrogen bonds
What does the influence of a cis bond within a phospholipid have in bilayer structure?
Reduces phospholipid packing
Describe the effects of cholesterol on the phospholipid bilayer
Reduces phospholipid packing therefore increasing fluidity
Rigid ring structure restricts motion of fatty acid tail which reduces phospholipid bilayer fluidity
What are integral membrane proteins?
Alpha-helical transmembrane domain of largely hydrophobic amino acids
Cannot be removed by manipulation of pH and ionic strength
Removed by agents that compete for non-polar interactions
Describe the erthrocyte cytoskeleton
Actin-spectrum network attached to membrane via ankyrin and band 4.1 bound to membrane proteins band 3 and glycophorin A respectively.
What is hereditary spherocytosis?
Spectrin depleted by 40-50% causes erythroycytes to round up and become less resistant to lysis by shearing forces of capillary beds. Cleared by the spleen
What molecules can diffuse the membrane bilayer?
Small - O2, CO2, N2, benzene
Small uncharged polar molecules - H20, urea, glycerol
What is passive diffusion?
Diffusion of molecules across a membrane either directly through the membrane or via open pores in the membrane
Dependent on permeability of membrane and concentration gradients
What is facilitated diffusion?
Gated pore, specific protein in the bilayer - ping pong transport
What is active transport?
Movement of ions or molecules againts an unfavourable concentration gradient and/or electrical gradient
Requires energy from the hydrolysis of ATP
What is a uniport transporter and give an example?
Transports an individual ion/molecule across a membrane
E.g. Voltage gated K+ channel
What is a symport transporter and give an example?
Co-transport of an ion/molecule with another across a membrane
E.g. Na+/Glucose Co-transport (Entry of Na+ provides energy for the entry of glucose against the concentration gradient)
What is an antiport transporter and give an example?
Transport of two ions/molecules across a membrane
E.g. Na+/K+ ATPase
What is the role of the Na+/K+ ATPase transporter?
Forms slight Na+ and K+ gradients using ATP
Drives secondary active transport
What are the secondary active transport process that Na+/K+ ATPase drives?
Control of pH Regulation of cell volume Regulation of Ca2+ concetration Absorption of Na+ in epithelia Nutrient uptake, e.g. glucose from the small intestine
What are the intra- and extra-cellular free Na+ concentrations?
Intracellular = 12mM Extracellular = 145mM
What are the intra- and extra-cellular free K+ concentrations?
Intracellular = 155mM Extracellular = 4mM
What is the role of the sodium calcium exchanger? Describe its affinity and capacity
Utilises the Na+ gradient to expell Ca2+ from the cell
Low affinity, high capacity
Membrane potential dependent
What is the role of the plasma membrane ATPase (PMCA)? Describe its affinity and capacity
Removal of Ca2+, brings in H+ to increase electrochemical efficiency
High affinity, low capacity
What is the role of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum ATPase? Describe its affinity and capacity
Removal of Ca2+ into endoplasmic reticulum, with addition of H+ into cytoplasm - Creates store of Ca2+
High affinity, low capacity
What is the role of the sodium hydrogen (Na+/H+) exchanger?
Extrudes acid out of the cell, utilises Na+ gradient - Role in pH control
What is the role of the anion exchanger?
Extrudes base and brings in Cl-, electrochemically neutral
Which transporter can be reversed and when does this occur?
Sodium calcium exchanger
Depolarisation of cell causes reversal of transporter - Efflux of Ca2+ into the cell (e.g. muscle contraction)
Ischeamia
Describe why NCX is reversed in ischeamia
ATP is depleted in ischeamia
Na+/K+ pump therefore inhibited
Na+ accumulates in the cell —> depolarisation
NCX reverses —> Na+ moves out, Ca2+ moves in
Which transporters are involved in regulating pH?
Acid extruders:
Na+/H+ exchanger
Sodium bicarbonate co-transporter
Base extruders:
Anion exchanger
Briefly describe how the cell regulates cell volume
Osmotically ‘active’ ions (Na+, K+, Cl-) are transported into/out of the cell, causing water to follow
Which transporters are involved in regulating cell volume?
Na+/H+ exchanger
Sodium bicarbonate co-transporter
Anion Exchanger
What is the resting membrane potential for nerve cells?
-50mV to -75mV
What is the resting membrane potential for cardiac/skeletal muscle cells?
-80mV to -90mV
What is a membrane potential?
Electrical difference (voltage difference) across plasma membrane
What sets up the resting membrane potential?
Membrane is selectively permeable to K+, but not perfectly so some other ions can leak across
What is equilibrium potential?
When there is no net driving force, chemical gradient = electrical gradient (e.g. EK+ = -95mV)
What is the intracellular and extracellular concentrations of Na+?
Intracellular = 10mM Extracellular = 145mM
What is the intracellular and extracellular concentrations of K+?
Intracellular = 160mM Extracellular = 4.5mM
What is the intracellular and extracellular concentrations of Cl-?
Intracellular = 3mM Extracellular = 114mM
What is the intracellular and extracellular concentrations of anions?
Intracellular = 167mM Extracellular = 40mM
What is the Nerst equation used for?
Calculate the equilibrium potential for an ion
Chemical gradient = electrical gradient
What causes fast synaptic transmission?
When the receptor protein is an ion channel
It can either be an inhibitory post-synpatic potential or a excitatory post-synaptic potential
What is a inhibitory post-synpatic potential, which ions and neurotransmitters cause this?
Transmitters than open ligand-gated channels that cause hyperpolarisation
K+, Cl- (moving towards their equilibrium potential)
Transmitters: glycine, GABA
What is a excitatory post-synpatic potential and which ions and neurotransmitters cause this?
Transmitters that open ligand-gated channels that cause membrane depolarisation, making cell more likely to generate an action potential
Na+, Ca2+ (moving towards their equilibrium potential)
Transmitters: ACh, glutamate
What is slow-synpatic transmission?
When the receptor and channel are separate proteins, e.g. Direct G-protein gating or gating via intracellular messenger (GPCR –> enzyme –> signalling cascade –> intracellular messenger interacts with channel
What occurs during an action potential through an axon?
Depolarisation to threshold Na+ channels open Na+ enters cell Depolarisation Opens K+ channels and inactivates Na+ channels K+ efflux, Na+ influx stops Repolarisation
What is the absolute refractory period?
Where all Na+ channels are inactivated and excitability is 0
What is the relative refractory period?
Where Na+ channels are recovering and excitability is increasing from 0 to 1
What are the stages that an Na+ channel undergoes?
Closed - Open - Inactivated - Closed (due to hyperpolarisation)
Describe the structure of a Na+ channel
1 subunit, 4 domains
Each domain has 6 transmembrane sections
Describe the structure of a K+ channel
4 subuntis, 1 domain
Describe saltatory conduction
Action potential jumps from node to node along axon, where there is a high density of Na+ channels, to increase conduction velocity. Myelin inhibits charge leakage.