Membrane Structure & Function cont.

I. Membrane Protein Function

II. Cellular Transport

 Integral proteins
span lipid bilayer
called transmembrane proteins
hydrophobic regions consist of one or more
stretches of nonpolar amino acids
often coiled into alpha helices
Visualize and draw membrane with transmembrane
protein containing 2 helices

LE 7-8

EXTRACELLULAR
SIDE

N-terminus

C-terminus
Helix

CYTOPLASMIC
SIDE

 Six major functions of membrane proteins:

Transport
Enzymatic activity
Signal transduction
Cell-cell recognition
Intercellular joining
Attachment to the cytoskeleton and extracellular
matrix (ECM)

LE 7-9a

Enzymes

Receptor

ATP

Transport

Signal

Enzymatic activity

Signal transduction

LE 7-9b

Glycoprotein

Cell-cell recognition

Intercellular joining

Attachment to the
cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM)

The Role of Membrane Carbohydrates in CellCell Recognition

Cells recognize each other by binding to surface
molecules, often carbohydrates, on the plasma
membrane
Carbohydrates covalently bonded to lipids (glycolipids)
or more often to proteins (glycoproteins)
Much variability of extracellular carbohydrates among
species, individuals, cell types in an individual

Example of Pneumococcus

Synthesis and Sidedness of Membranes

Membranes distinct inside and outside faces
Plasma membrane is added to by vesicles from ER &
Golgi.
Secreted and integral membrane proteins, lipids and
associated carbohydrates transported to membrane by
these vesicles.

LE 7-10
ER
Transmembrane
glycoproteins
Secretory
protein
Glycolipid
Golgi
apparatus

Vesicle

Plasma membrane:
Cytoplasmic face

Secreted
protein

Transmembrane
glycoprotein

Extracellular face

Plasma membrane:

Transport across cellular

membranes
To exchange materials with surroundings in
part to take in nutrients and give off waste

Exchange(or transport) regulated:

selective permeability

Structure Dictates Membrane Permeability

Hydrophobic (nonpolar) molecules cross
membrane rapidly
e.g., hydrocarbons, oxygen, CO2 can dissolve in the lipid
bilayer and pass through the membrane rapidly

Polar molecules cross slowly

e.g. sugars, charged proteins, water

How do hydrophilic substances cross membranes?

With Help!

Transport proteins
Some create hydrophilic channels across membranes for
polar molecules or ions to pass through

Example: Aquaporin
water channel protein

Carrier proteins
binds solutes & change the shape of carrier
help to facilitate passage across membrane
highly specific for transported solutes
Examples: glucose transporter is a carrier protein for glucose only

Transport Can be Passive or

Active

LE 7-11a

Passive Transport: Diffusion

Molecules of dye

Membrane (cross section)

WATER

Net diffusion

Diffusion of one solute

Net diffusion

Equilibrium

 Substances diffuse down their concentration gradient

High to low

Substances reach dynamic equilibrium

No work (no added energy) required

LE 7-11b

Net diffusion
Net diffusion

Diffusion of two solutes

Net diffusion
Net diffusion

Equilibrium
Equilibrium

Effects of Osmosis on Water Balance

Osmosis
diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane

Diffuses across a membrane from the region of lower solute

(such as an ion) concentration to the region of higher solute
concentration
The direction of osmosis is determined only by a difference in
total solute concentration

LE 7-12

Lower
concentration
of solute (sugar)

Higher
concentration
of sugar

H2 O

Selectively
permeable membrane: sugar molecules cannot pass
through pores, but
water molecules can

Osmosis

Same concentration
of sugar

Water Balance of Cells Without Walls

Tonicity
ability of a solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water

Isotonic solution
solute concentration is equal inside and
outside the cell --> no net water movement
cell remains same size

Hypertonic solution
external solute concentration is
greater than that inside the cell-->
cell loses water

Hypotonic solution
external solute concentration is less than that
inside the cell--> cell gains water
May expand enough to burst!

LE 7-13

Hypotonic solution

Isotonic solution

Hypertonic solution

Animal
cell
H2O

H2O

Turgid (normal)

H2O

H2O

Flaccid

H2O

Shriveled

Normal

Lysed
Plant
cell

H2O

H2O

H2O

Plasmolyzed

Water Balance of Cells with Walls vs No Walls

Cell walls help maintain water balance
Plant cell in hypotonic solution swells -->turgid (firm)
Animal cell?
Plant cell and its surroundings isotonic--> no net water movemen; the cell
becomes flaccid (limp), and the plant may wilt
Animal cell?
In hypertonic environment, plant cells lose water--> membrane pulls
away from the wall: plasmolysis
Lethal
Animal cell?

Passive Transport Aided by

Proteins
Facilitated diffusion
transport proteins speed movement of molecules
across the plasma membrane
Channel proteins
Carrier proteins

LE 7-15a

EXTRACELLULAR
FLUID

Channel protein

Solute
CYTOPLASM

LE 7-15b

Carrier protein

Solute

Active transport

uses energy to move solutes against their gradients

Requires energy, usually ATP
Performed by specific membrane proteins
Example
sodium-potassium pump

LE 7-16
EXTRACELLULAR [Na+] high
FLUID
[K+] low

Na+
Na

Na+

Na+

Na+

Na+

Na+

Na+

CYTOPLASM

[Na+] low
[K+] high

Na+

Cytoplasmic Na bonds to
the sodium-potassium pump
+

ATP

ADP

Na binding stimulates
phosphorylation by ATP.
+

Phosphorylation causes
the protein to change its
conformation, expelling Na+
to the outside.

K+

K+
K+

K+

K+

Extracellular K+ binds
to the protein, triggering
release of the phosphate
group.

K+

Loss of the phosphate

restores the proteins
original conformation.

K+ is released and Na+

sites are receptive again;
the cycle repeats.

LE 7-17

Passive transport

Active transport

ATP
Diffusion

Facilitated diffusion

 Electrogenic pumps
is a transport protein that generates a voltage across a
membrane--> opposite charges across membrane
(membrane potential)

Example: In animals, Na-K pump

In plant fungi and bacteria, proton pump
Requires ATP (active transport)

LE 7-18

ATP

EXTRACELLULAR
FLUID

+
+

H+
H+

Proton pump
H+

H+
H+

CYTOPLASM

H+

Cotransport
Coupled Transport by a Membrane Protein
When active transport of one solute indirectly drives
transport of another
Example
Plants commonly use the proton gradient generated by
proton pumps to drive transport of nutrients into the cell

LE 7-19

+
H+

ATP

H+

Proton pump

H+

H+

H+

+
H+

Sucrose-H+
cotransporter

Diffusion
of H+

H+

+
+

Sucrose

How do large molecules move in and out of

cells?
Small molecules and water enter or leave the cell
through the lipid bilayer or by transport proteins
Large molecules, such as polysaccharides and
proteins, cross the membrane via vesicles

Exocytosis
Transport vesicles with cargo migrate to the membrane, fuse with it, and are
release contents

Example:
Many secretory cells use exocytosis to export their products
Pancreatic cells (beta-cells) secrete insulin

LE 7-10
ER
Transmembrane
glycoproteins
Secretory
protein
Glycolipid
Golgi
apparatus

Vesicle

Plasma membrane:
Cytoplasmic face

Secreted
protein

Transmembrane
glycoprotein

Extracellular face

Plasma membrane:

Endocytosis

Cell takes in macromolecules by forming

vesicles at the plasma membrane
Reversal of exocytosis, involving different
proteins

 Three types of endocytosis

Phagocytosis (cellular eating): Cell engulfs
particle in a vacuole
Pinocytosis (cellular drinking): Cell creates
vesicle around fluid
Receptor-mediated endocytosis: Binding of
ligands to receptors triggers vesicle formation

LE 7-20c

RECEPTOR-MEDIATED ENDOCYTOSIS
Coat protein

Receptor

Coated
vesicle

Coated
pit
Ligand
A coated pit
and a coated
vesicle formed
during
receptormediated
endocytosis
(TEMs).

Coat
protein

Plasma
membrane
0.25 m