Membranes and Action Potential Flashcards
Membrane Lipids—Phospholipids
Major
• Glycerophospholipids/
phosphoglycerides
– Phosphatidylcholines (PC),
phosphatidylserines (PS),
phosphatidylethanolamines (PE)
– Polar head group = choline,
serine, ethanolamine
• Minor: include
phosphatidylinositols (PI)
• PC (lecithin), mainly in outer
leaflet
• PE, PI mainly in inner leaflet
• PS exclusively in inner leaflet
Membrane Lipids—Sphingolipids
Major
• Located mainly in outer
leaflet
• Derived from ceramide
Membrane Lipids—Glycolipids
Glycolipids
– Most made from ceramide:
glycosphingolipids
– Eg. gangliosides, ABO blood
group Ags
– Minor but essential; ~2% of
membrane lipids
– Exclusive to outer leaflet
Membrane Lipids—Cholesterol
Major
– Amphipathic
– Interdigitates between
phospholipids in inner and
outer leaflets
– Helps maintain structural
integrity of plasma
membrane
Membrane Proteins
Integral, peripheral (membrane associated)
• All TM proteins integral
Transport Across Membranes
• Selectively permeable barrier
• Main modes of transport:
– osmosis, simple diffusion, facilitated transport,
active transport, exocytosis, endocytosis,
transcytosis
• Size exclusion limit
Simple Diffusion
• Small, lipid
-soluble
molecules can diffuse
through membrane
according to their
concentration gradient
• Movement in both
directions but net flow in
one direction until
concentration on both sides
of membrane equal – Eg. NO diffuses through lipid
bilayer
Osmosis
Aquaporins—channels
used for transport of water
– Integral membrane proteins
Facilitated Diffusion
Some molecules too large, charged or hydrophilic→ cannot simply diffuse through lipid bilayer • Transporters (transmembrane proteins) change conformation to rapidly move a molecule across the membrane, down its electrochemical gradient (Passive transport)
Active Transport
ENERGY used to transport molecules across membrane
• Primary active transport
• Secondary active transport; co-transport
Active Transport—
Primary Active Transport
Eg. Na/K ATPase, expressed in most cells
– Pumps Na+
ions out of cell and K+
ions into cell, with
hydrolysis of ATP, ie. against each ion’s electrochemical
gradient
• NOTE: [Na+
] in the ECF than in the ICF; [K+
] higher in the ICF
Active Transport—
Secondary Active Transport
Transport of one molecule
coupled to movement of
another molecule
• Symport
• Antiport
Active Transport—
Secondary Active Transport
Eg. Na/Glucose, SGLT1;
symport
– Both glucose and Na+ bind
symporter and are transported
into cell
– Energy from Na+ moving down
its electrochemical gradient is
maintained by Na/K ATPase
– Na+ and glucose in intestinal
lumen are transported across
apical membrane of
enterocytes into these cells,
against glucose concentration
gradient
Ion Channels
Transmembrane proteins that form aqueous
conduits, selective for types of charged species that
can flow through them (facilitated diffusion)
• Move ions at relatively high rate
– Examples: conduction of nerve impulses, muscle
contraction
• (Not permanently open—many are gated, ie. they
open and close in response to specific stimuli)
• Gap junctions
– Ions, other solutes
Ion Channels—Gating
• Permeability of membranes must be
regulated
• Three major classes of gated channels:
–Voltage-, ligand-, mechanically-gated
Ion Channels—Voltage-gated Channels
Open in response to change in electrical potential across cell membrane
CFTR
- Anion channel
- Chloride, bicarbonate
Ion Channels—Mechanosensitive
Open in response to mechanical forces
Exocytosis
Cell releases molecules into
extracellular environment
through fusion of transport
vesicles with plasma membrane
• Material to be exocytosed may
be synthesized and:
– Released immediately from cell,
– Stored in secretory vesicles near
the membrane until needed. Eg.
Neurotransmitters, hormones
– …Or, synthesized as precursors.
When needed, converted to active
proteins before or after exocytosis
Endocytosis
Cell takes up
macromolecules, fluid,
solutes, membrane
components
• Phagocytosis, pinocytosis
• Material enclosed by
plasma membrane which
eventually pinches off to
form endocytic vesicle
(EV)
Endocytosis
EV may fuse with
receiving
compartment→ early
endosome (EE)
– sorting→ recycling,
degradation, other
• Endosome maturation:
EE→→ LE
• Fusion of LE with
lysosomes→
endolysosomes;
degradation
Phagocytosis
Endocytosis of large particle followed by fusion with specialized vesicle →phagosome – Bacteria, viruses, cells that
have died by apoptosis• Phagosome fuses with lysosome and ingestedmaterial is degraded
• Some types ofphagocytosis enacted by specialized cells, such
as macrophages and neutrophils
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Some endocytosis events (incl. phagocytosis) require binding of
extracellular macromolecule to a membrane-bound receptor
• Example: Cholesterol (LDL) taken up from bloodstream via RME
Transcytosis
• Vesicle-mediated transcellular transport