Problem

Set Week 1-Cell Biol 336

1. How do animal cells maintain membrane fluidity, and hence membrane function,
in response to decreased temperature?

2. What are the primary functions of the plasma membrane in all cells?

3. Biomembranes contain many different types of lipid molecules. What are the three
main types of lipid molecules found in biomembranes? How are the three types similar,
and how are they different?



4. What are detergents? How do ionic and non-ionic detergents differ in their
ability to disrupt membrane structure?


5. Two membrane preparations have been derived from the plasma membrane of
erythrocytes and are present in a buffer solution: (1) right-side-out membrane
vesicles, in which the exoplasmic leaflet of the vesicle faces the buffer (equivalent in
orientation to that of the exoplasmic leaflet of the intact plasma membrane); and (2)
inside-out membrane vesicles in which the exoplasmic leaflet faces the interior of
the vesicles.

a. Annexin V is a protein that binds to phosphatidylserine, one of the
phospholipids present in cell membranes. Fluorescently labeled annexin V is
mixed with each vesicle preparation. The vesicles are washed to remove
unbound annexin V and then examined by fluorescence microscopy. Presence of
annexin V is detected by green fluorescence, as shown above. What can be
deduced from these data?

b. A monoclonal antibody has been prepared against band 3, an integral

membrane protein of the erythrocyte plasma membrane. The antibody
recognizes an epitope on the carboxy terminus of band 3. Incubation of the two
membrane vesicle preparations with this antibody following by staining with a
fluorescently labeled secondary antibody generates data similar to that shown in
the micrographs above. What can you deduce about the structure of band 3
from these data?

6. Proteins that for a -barrel pore in the membrane have several strands that
span the membrane. The pore-facing side of each strand carries hydrophilic amino
acid side chains, whereas the bilayer-facing sides carry hydrophobic amino acid side
chains. Which of the three 10-amino acid sequences listed below is the most likely
candidate for a transmembrane strand in a -barrel pore? Explain.

A. ADFKLSVELT
B. AFLVLDKSET
C. AFDKLVSELT


7. Why is it that membrane spanning protein segments are almost always helices
or barrels and never disordered chains?