Metabolism and Localisation of Biochemical Pathways Flashcards
What are the three major types of membrane lipids?
Phospholipids, glycolipids, cholesterol
What two alcohols can phospholipids be derived from?
Glycerol and sphingosine
What are phospholipids derived from glycerol called?
Phosphoglycerides
What are phosphoglycerides composed of?
Glycerol backbone, two fatty acid chains, and a phosphorylated alcohol
Do glycolipids contain sugar?
Yes
What functional group does cholesterol belong to?
Sterol
Is cholesterol more present in eukaryotes or prokaryotes?
Eukaryotes
-present in eukaryotes but not in most prokaryotes
Are plasma membranes or organelle membranes are rich in cholesterol?
Plasma membranes
-membranes of organelles typically have smaller amounts of cholesterol than the cholesterol rich plasma membrane
What technique is used to identify lipid components of membranes?
Thin layer chromatography (TLC)
What is the basic structure of a phospholipid?
Hydrophilic (polar group) head and hydrophobic (hydrocarbon) tail
What is the hydrophobic unit of phosphoglycerides?
2 fatty acid chains
What is the hydrophilic unit of phosphoglycerides?
Phosphorylated alcohol
What is the hydrophobic unit of sphingomyelin?
Fatty acid chain and hydrocarbon chain of sphingosine
What is the hydrophilic unit of sphingomyelin?
Phosphorylated choline
What is the hydrophobic unit of glycolipids?
Fatty acid chain and hydrocarbon chain sphingosine
What is the hydrophilic unit of glycolipids?
One or more sugar residues
What is the hydrophobic unit of cholesterol?
Entire molecule except for OH group
What is the hydrophilic unit of cholesterol?
OH group at carbon 3
What are the three potential arrangements for phospholipids in aqueous medium?
Micelle, liposome, lipid bilayer
Why are micelles difficult to form?
Fatty acid chains are too bulky to fit inside
What is the most common structure of phospholipids in aqueous medium?
Lipid bilayer
What stabilises a lipid bilayer?
Dispersion (London) forces and hydrophobic interactions between hydrocarbon chains and electrostatic & hydrogen bonding attractions between the polar head group and water
How do we know the arrangement of lipids in the membrane?
X-ray diffraction
What is membrane fluidity controlled by?
Fatty acid composition, cholesterol content
What are the two possible conformations of fatty acyl chains?
Trans (rigid) or gauche (more fluid)
How can cholesterol regulate membrane fluidity?
Increases fluidity by preventing crystallisation of fatty acyl chains and can decrease fluidity by sterically blocking larger motions of fatty acyl chains
What are integral membrane proteins?
Proteins which are embedded in and span the lipid bilayer
What are peripheral membrane proteins?
Proteins bound to the membrane by electrostatic and hydrogen-bond interactions
What type of membrane proteins are used for active transport?
ATP-powered pumps
What are the four classes of ATP-powered pumps?
P-class, V-class, F-class, ABC superfamily
What do P-class pumps transport?
Ions
Where are P-class pumps found?
- Plasma membrane of plants, fungi, and bacteria (H+ pump)
- NA+/K+ pump of higher eukaryotes plasma membrane
What do V-class pumps transport?
Protons (across pH)
Where are V-class pumps found?
- Vacuolar membranes of plants, yeast, and other fungi
- Endosomal and lysosomal membranes in animal cells
What do F-class pumps transport?
Protons
Where are F-class protons found?
- Bacterial plasma membranes
- Inner mitochondrial membrane
What does the ABC superfamily transport?
Small molecules
Where are ABC superfamily pumps found?
- Bacterial plasma membranes
- Mammalian plasma membranes
Which class of ATP-powered pumps is cystic fibrosis linked to?
ABC superfamily
What are ABC superfamily transporters made up of?
Transmembrane domains and two cytosolic ATP binding sites
Which ions can be transported down concentration gradients by their specific ion channels?
NA+, K+, Ca2+, Cl-
Is the potential difference negative inside or outside the cell?
Inside
What is the difference between gated and non-gated ion channels?
Gated change state in response to membrane potential signalling but non-gated have no response
What is resting membrane potential?
The potential difference between the inside and outside of the cell
What is the typical range fo resting membrane potential?
30 to -100 mV
What are the three reasons for the existence of the resting membrane potential?
- semi-permeable cell membrane means unequal ion distribution inside and outside of cell
- presence of ion pumps
- presence of ion channels
What is a uni-porter?
Transport only one type of species substrate
What is co-transport?
Happens against the conc. gradient and is where a molecule and ion are coupled and must move together
What is symport?
When coupled molecule/ion move in the same direction
What is antiport?
When coupled molecule/ion move in opposite directions
A mutation in which transport protein contributes towards epilepsy?
Brain Na+ channels
A mutation in which transport protein contributes towards cystic fibrosis?
CFTR
A mutation in which transport protein contributes towards cancer drug resistance?
MDR-1
Which channel is inhibited to treat stomach ulcers?
Gastric H+/K+ ATPase
Which biomolecules are the most abundant on Earth?
Carbohydrates
Name 6 structural and protective elements contributed to by carbohydrates
- cell walls of bacteria and plants
- connective tissues of animals and lubrication of skeletal joints
- adhesion between cells
- exoskeletons
- essential to protein function
- central to cell survival and cell-to-cell communication
What are carbohydrates made from?
Monosaccharides
What functional groups are the monosaccharides that make up carbohydrates?
Aldehydes or ketones:
- aldoses/ketoses
Are carbohydrate chiral?
Yes
What is the definition of chirality?
Non-superimposable on its mirror image
Which isomers are the most naturally occurring monosaccharides?
D-isomers
What is the predominant form of saccharides with 5 or more carbons?
Cyclic
How does cyclisation of D-glucose occur?
Nucleophilic attack of the C5 hydroxyl on the C1 aldehyde/ketone to form the hemiacetal/hemiketal
How many saccharide units in oligosaccharides?
Two to ten
In what form are polysaccharides stored in plants?
Starch
What are the two types of glucose polymer in starch?
Amylose and amylopectin
Describe amylose
Long, unbranched chains of D-glucose, alpha 1,4 linkages
Describe amylopectin
Highly branched, alpha 1,4 and 1,6 linkages
In what form are polysaccharides stored in animal cells?
Glycogen
In which tissues is glycogen most abundant?
Muscle and liver