Module 4: V6 - V10 Flashcards
What roles do membrane proteins play?
- permit selective entry and exit of molecules from cell e.g. via transporters
- provide recognition signals e.g. receptors for growth factors
- provide structural support to the cell
How do proteins interact with the membrane?
most membrane proteins are free to diffuse laterally in lipid matrix
What are two types of protein that interact with the membrane?
integral membrane protein and peripheral protein
What are integral membrane proteins?
proteins which are firmly attached / embedded in the membrane
What are peripheral membrane proteins?
proteins which associate with outside surfaces
How do peripheral membrane proteins associate with membranes?
by ionic interactions and H-bonding with polar head groups of lipids and integral membrane proteins
How do integral membrane proteins interact with membranes?
by hydrophobic interactions with acyl chains of membrane lipids
Which reagents can be used to disrupt ionic interactions and release peripheral membrane proteins?
high salt, change pH, chelating agent
Which reagents can be used to disrupt hydrophobic reactions and release integral membrane proteins? How does this process work?
detergents such as SDS
dissolves membranes and maintains extracted protein in solution by interacting with hydrophobic regions of proteins
How can we determine orientation and arrangement of membrane proteins?
treating these proteins with an enzyme that chops them up will determine which parts are exposed to the protease and which parts aren’t
What does trypsin do?
trypsin cleaves on the carbonyl side of lysine and arginine, but only has access to the “outside” part of the protein of an intact cell
What does analysis of remaining protein after trypsin digestion of cells identify?
identifies the domains of the protein buried in the bilayer and/or exposed on the inner surface
Based on sequence can we predict transmembrane protein domains?
yes, genome sequencing allows the sequences of all proteins to be predicted
What information do we know about proteins which we can use to predict transmembrane protein domains?
sequence will consist of hydrophobic amino acids
conformation will be an alpha helix
span (segment of protein) equal to width of membrane
How many hydrophobic residues are required to span a 3 nm membrane?
20 hydrophobic residues
How is hydrophobicity measured? How is this measure derived?
the hydropathy index which is derived from the free energy change required to move an organic solvent to water
therefore, (+) values for hydrophobic amino acid residues as this process is not favourable and (-) values for hydrophilic amino acid residues as this process is favourable
What is indicative of a transmembrane region on a hydropathy plot?
a region in which 20 or more amino acid residues are hydrophobic (positive)
Which molecules are permeable?
oxygen and carbon dioxide
What are transport proteins in membranes responsible for?
transferring small water soluble molecules across the lipid bilayer