Membrane Structure + Synthesis Flashcards
Features of membrane?
Flexible Self-sealing Selectively permeable Define external boundaries Divide internal space
eg of polar head group?
Choline, Serine, Ethanolamine, Inositol
Define membrane asymmetry
cytosolic side of membrane diff from ECF side
What’s the distribution of Sphingomyelin (SM)?
phospholipid where glycerol replaced by sphingosine Present in myelin. Exoplasmic
What’s the distribution of Phosphatidylcholine (PC)?
head group is choline. Exoplasmic
What’s the distribution of Phosphatidylserine (PS)?
in healthy cell. Cytosolic
What’s the distribution of Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)?
Cytosolic
What’s the distribution of Phosphatidylinositol (Pl)?
minor involved in intercellular signal transduction. Cytosolic
What’s the distribution of Cholesterol (Cl)?
equally
What factors affect fluidity?
temp, FA composition, chain length, degree + extent of saturation, cholesterol content
How does saturated fatty acyl chains affect fluidity?
increased rigidity as they pack closer together so stronger interactions
How does chain length affect fluidity?
increased rigidity as increased interactions
How does cholesterol hydroxyl group affect fluidity?
forms H bonds w phospholipids the hydrophobic tail disrupts the regular interaction between fatty acyl chains
How does low temp affect fluidity?
Low energy of molecules, so decreased motility of membrane (molecules closer together) but cholesterol (in small numbers) interferes w interaction between phospholipids to increase fluidity
How does high temp affect fluidity?
High energy of molecules, so increased motility of membrane (molecules far) but cholesterol (in high numbers) stabilises membrane by bringing phospholipids closer together to decrease fluidity
How does spur cell anaemia affect fluidity?
increased cholesterol by 25-65% decreases membrane fluidity –> spikey 🔴 which are fragile + obstructive
Why is transverse diffusion slower than lateral diffusion?
requires 3 enzymes
takes energy getting hydrophilic head via fatty membrane
Role of Floppase?
moves phospholipids from inner to outer leaflet, requires ATP
Role of Flippase (flipase)?
moves phospholipids from outer to inner leaflet, requires ATP
Role of Scamblase?
bidirectional movement
Describe membrane synthesis of lipids
- enzymes in cytosolic ER
- as new lipids inserted, bilayer starts to bow as one side enlarged
- newly synthesized lipids move to luminal side by flippase so both sides enlarged
Why would the synthesis of ER lipids be altered?
membranes flow from ER to golgi to vesicles (Except sphingomyelin + glycolipids start in ER to golgi)
What’s apoptosis?
Cells that want programmed cell death display eat me signals for macrophages on their plasma membrane. Marker is Phosphatidylserineis inside of membrane but undergo transverse diffusion when needed so exposed on surface
What are the major lipid classes?
phospholipids, glycolipids, cholesterol
Features of integral membrane proteins?
- Single or multi pass
- Strong non-covalent bonds
- Trans-membrane domain often an α-helix
- can be predicted from sequence
- interact extensively w lipid bilayer
Features of peripheral membrane proteins?
- on the extracellullar or cytosolic membrane
- associated by non-covalent bonds
- interact w integral proteins or lipid polar head groups
Features of lipid anchored membrane proteins?
Covalently linked to lipid molecule (glycero-phosphatidylinositol)
Features of membrane carbohydrates?
- Carb associated w membrane lipids + proteins
- Form 2-10% of membrane weight
- Carb faces away from cytosol
- Involved in cell-cell interactions or cellular recognition
- 8% of 🔴 weight
Function of plasma membrane?
barrier, transport, signal transduction
Function of mitochindria membrane?
barrier, E transduction