CHAPTER 8 MEMBRANE STUCTURE AND FUNCTION

Membrane Structure
1. 2. 3. 4. Membrane models have evolved to fit new data Membranes are fluid Membranes are mosaics of structure and function Membrane carbohydrates are important for cell-cell recognition

Copyright 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Membrane Structure and Function

Membrane Structure Lipids and proteins are the main components of the membranes, although carbohydrates are also important. The most abundant lipids in most membranes are phospholipids Phospholipids and most of proteins of membrane are amphipathic molecules.
Amphipathic molecules : A molecule that has both hydrophilic region and a hydrophilic regions. The membrane ia a fluid mosaic : The membrane is a fluid structure with various protein embedded in or attached to a double layer (bilayer)of phospholipids.

Membranes are fluid

A membrane is held in together by weak hydrophobic interactions. Most membrane lipids and some proteins can drift laterally within the membrane Molecules rarely flip transversely (flip-flop) across the membrane, because hydrophilic parts would have to cross the membranes hydrophobic core.

Fig. 8.4a

 Phospholipids move quickly along the membranes plane, averaging 2 microns per second.(The lateral movements of phospholipids are rapid) Membrane proteins drift (move) more slowly than lipids.
Some

membrane proteins are joined to the cytoskeleton and can not move far.
Copyright 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Membrane must be fluid to work properly. Solidification may result in permeability changes and enzyme deactivation.

Unsaturated hydrocarbon tails enhance membrane fluidity because kinks at the carbon-to-carbon double bonds hinder close packing of phospholipids.
Membranes solidify if the temperature decreases to a critical point. Critical temperature is lower in membranes with a greater concentration of unsaturated phospholipids.

Fig. 8.4b

 Cholesterol found in plasma membranes of eukaryotes, modulates membrane fluidity by making the membrane:
Less fluid at warm temperatures (e.g. 37 C body temperature) by restraining the phospholipid movement. More fluid at lower (cool) temperatures by preventing close packing of phospholipids.

Cells may alter membrane lipid concentration in response

to changes in temperature
Many cold tolerant plants (e.g. winter wheat) increase the unsaturated phospholipid concentration in autumn, which prevents the plasma membranes from solidifying in winter.
Fig. 8.4c

Membranes are mosaics of structure and function

A membrane is a mosaic of different proteins embedded and dispersed in the phospholipid bilayer. These proteins vary in both structure and function, and they occur in two spatial arrangements:
1- Integral proteins
2- Peripheral proteins

Fig. 8.6

1- Integral proteins, which are inserted into the membrane:

Their hydrophobic regions are surrounded by hydrophobic portions of phospholipids. Their hydrophilic ends are exposed on both sides of the membrane.

2- Peripheral proteins, which are not embedded in the lipid bilayer but attached to the membrane surface:
May be attached to integral proteins or held by fibers of the extracellular matrix. On the cytoplasmic side, may be held by filaments of cytoskeleton

Copyright 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Membranes have asymmetric inside and outside faces. The membranes synthesis and modification by the ER determines this asymmetric distribution of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates.
The two lipid layers may differ in lipid composition. Membrane proteins have a clear direction. When present, carbohydrates are restricted to the membranes exterior
Fig. 8.8

The membrane is also a functional mosaic as: A single cell may have membrane proteins performing several functions, and a single protein may have multiple functions.

 The proteins in the plasma membrane may provide a variety of major cell functions.

Fig. 8.9
Copyright 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Membrane carbohydrates are important for cell-cell recognition

Cell-cell recognition: The ability of a cell to distinguish one type of neighboring cell from another. Cell-cell recognition is crucial in the functioning of an organism. It is the basis for: Sorting of cells into tissues and organs in an animal embryos cell. Rejection of foreign cells by the immune system. The way cells recognize other cells is probably by keying on surface molecules (markers)
Markers: Surface molecules found on the external surface of the plasma membrane that distinguish one cell from another.
Copyright 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Because of their diversity and location, the most likely candidate as cell markers are membrane carbohydrates: Usually branched oligosaccharides (<15 monomers) Some are covalently bonded to lipids, forming glycolipids Most covalently bonded to proteins, forming glycoproteins. Vary from species to species, between individuals of the same species and among cells within the same individual.

Fig. 8.6