Membrane Structure and Function Chapter 7: Membrane Structure and Function

Overview: Life at the Edge The plasma membrane is the boundary that separates the living cell from its surroundings The plasma membrane exhibits selective permeability, allowing some substances to cross it more easily than others Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Cellular membranes are fluid mosaics of lipids and proteins Phospholipids are the most abundant lipid in the plasma membrane Phospholipids are amphipathic molecules, containing hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions The fluid mosaic model states that a membrane is a fluid structure with a “mosaic” of various proteins embedded in it For the Cell Biology Video Structure of the Cell Membrane, go to Animation and Video Files. Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

WATER Hydrophilic head Hydrophobic tail WATER Figure 7.2 Phospholipid bilayer (cross section) Hydrophobic tail WATER

Phospholipid bilayer Hydrophobic regions of protein Hydrophilic Figure 7.3 The fluid mosaic model for membranes Hydrophobic regions of protein Hydrophilic regions of protein

• Phospholipids in the plasma membrane can move within the bilayer Lateral movement (107 times per second) Flip-flop ( once per month) (a) Movement of phospholipids Figure 7.5a The fluidity of membranes • Phospholipids in the plasma membrane can move within the bilayer

As temperatures cool, membranes switch from a fluid state to a solid state The temperature at which a membrane solidifies depends on the types of lipids Membranes must be fluid to work properly; they are usually about as fluid as salad oil Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Membranes rich in unsaturated fatty acids are more fluid that those rich in saturated fatty acids Viscous Figure 7.5b The fluidity of membranes Saturated hydro- carbon tails Unsaturated hydrocarbon tails with kinks (b) Membrane fluidity

Cholesterol affects in membrane At warm temperatures cholesterol restrains movement of phospholipids At cool temperatures, it maintains fluidity by preventing tight packing Cholesterol Cholesterol within the animal cell membrane Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Membrane Proteins and Their Functions A membrane is a collage of different proteins embedded in the fluid matrix of the lipid bilayer Proteins determine most of the membrane’s specific functions Animation: Plasma Membrane Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Fig. 7-7 Fibers of extracellular matrix (ECM) Glyco- Carbohydrate protein Carbohydrate Glycolipid EXTRACELLULAR SIDE OF MEMBRANE Figure 7.7 The detailed structure of an animal cell’s plasma membrane, in a cutaway view Cholesterol Microfilaments of cytoskeleton Peripheral proteins Integral protein CYTOPLASMIC SIDE OF MEMBRANE

Peripheral proteins are bound to the surface of the membrane Integral proteins penetrate the hydrophobic core (often coiled into alpha helices Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Six major functions of membrane proteins: Transport Enzymatic activity Signal transduction Cell-cell recognition Intercellular joining Attachment to the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM) Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

(b) Enzymatic activity (c) Signal transduction Signaling molecule Enzymes Receptor ATP Signal transduction (a) Transport (b) Enzymatic activity (c) Signal transduction Figure 7.9 Some functions of membrane proteins Glyco- protein (d) Cell-cell recognition (e) Intercellular joining (f) Attachment to the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM)

Carbohydrates in Cell-Cell Recognition Cells recognize each other by binding to surface molecules, often carbohydrates, on the plasma membrane Membrane carbohydrates may be covalently bonded to lipids (forming glycolipids) or more commonly to proteins (forming glycoproteins) Glyco- protein Cell to cell recognition Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

The Permeability of the Lipid Bilayer Hydrophobic (nonpolar) molecules, such as hydrocarbons, can dissolve in the lipid bilayer and pass through the membrane rapidly Polar molecules, such as sugars, do not cross the membrane easily Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Transport Proteins Transport proteins allow passage of hydrophilic substances across the membrane Channel proteins, have a hydrophilic channel that certain molecules or ions can use as a tunnel Aquaporins (channel protein) facilitate the passage of water Carrier proteins, bind to molecules and change shape to shuttle them across the membrane Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Passive transport Diffusion is the tendency for molecules to spread out evenly into the available space Molecules of dye Membrane (cross section) WATER Net diffusion Net diffusion Equilibrium Animation: Diffusion Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Substances diffuse down their concentration gradient, the difference in concentration of a substance from one area to another No work must be done to move substances down the concentration gradient The diffusion of a substance across a biological membrane is passive transport because it requires no energy from the cell to make it happen Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Effects of Osmosis on Water Balance Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane Water diffuses across a membrane from the region of lower solute concentration to the region of higher solute concentration Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Higher concentration Lower Same concentration concentration of sugar Fig. 7-12 Lower concentration of solute (sugar) Higher concentration of sugar Same concentration of sugar H2O Selectively permeable membrane Figure 7.12 Osmosis Osmosis

Water Balance of Cells Without Walls Tonicity is the ability of a solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water Isotonic solution: Solute concentration is the same as that inside the cell (no movement) Hypertonic solution: Solute concentration is greater than that inside the cell; cell loses water Hypotonic solution: Solute concentration is less than that inside the cell; cell gains water Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

cell cell Hypotonic solution Isotonic solution Hypertonic solution H2O Fig. 7-13 Hypotonic solution Isotonic solution Hypertonic solution H2O H2O H2O H2O (a) Animal cell Lysed Normal Shriveled H2O H2O H2O H2O Figure 7.13 The water balance of living cells (b) Plant cell Turgid (normal) Flaccid Plasmolyzed

Water Balance of Cells with Walls A plant cell in a hypotonic solution swells until the wall opposes uptake; the cell is now turgid (firm) If a plant cell and its surroundings are isotonic, there is no net movement of water into the cell; the cell becomes flaccid (limp), and the plant may wilt In a hypertonic environment, plant cells lose water; eventually, the membrane pulls away from the wall, a usually lethal effect called plasmolysis Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Facilitated Diffusion: Passive Transport Aided by Proteins (no energy) In facilitated diffusion, transport proteins speed the passive movement of molecules across the plasma membrane (down gradient) Channel proteins include Aquaporins, for facilitated diffusion of water Ion channels that open or close in response to a stimulus (gated channels) For the Cell Biology Video Water Movement through an Aquaporin, go to Animation and Video Files. Animation: Facilitated diffusion Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

The Need for Energy in Active Transport Active transport moves substances against their concentration gradient Active transport requires energy, usually in the form of ATP Active transport is performed by specific proteins embedded in the membranes Animation: Active Transport Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

1 2 3 6 5 4 Fig. 7-16-7 EXTRACELLULAR FLUID [Na+] high Na+ [K+] low [Na+] low ATP P Na+ P CYTOPLASM [K+] high ADP 1 2 3 K+ Figure 7.16, 1–6 The sodium-potassium pump: a specific case of active transport K+ K+ K+ K+ P K+ P 6 5 4

Facilitated diffusion Passive transport Active transport ATP Diffusion Facilitated diffusion Figure 7.17 Review: passive and active transport

Bulk transport occurs by exocytosis and endocytosis 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 in bulk via vesicles Bulk transport requires energy Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Exocytosis In exocytosis, transport vesicles migrate to the membrane, fuse with it, and release their contents Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Animation: Phagocytosis Endocytosis In endocytosis, the cell takes in macromolecules by forming vesicles from the plasma membrane There are three types of endocytosis: Phagocytosis (“cellular eating”) Pinocytosis (“cellular drinking”) Receptor-mediated endocytosis: binding of ligands to receptors triggers vesicle formation Animation: Phagocytosis Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

Coat protein Receptor Coated vesicle Coated pit Ligand PHAGOCYTOSIS PINOCYTOSIS PHAGOCYTOSIS EXTRACELLULAR FLUID CYTOPLASM Pseudopodium “Food” or other particle Food vacuole Vesicle Plasma membrane RECEPTOR-MEDIATED ENDOCYTOSIS Coat protein Receptor Figure 7.20 Endocytosis in animal cells—phagocytosis Coated vesicle Coated pit Ligand