1. Which statement about membranes is TRUE?

A) Most plasma membranes contain more than 70% proteins.

B) Sterol lipids are common in bacterial plasma membranes.
C) Sterol lipids are common in human cell plasma membranes.
D) Sterol lipids are common in plant cell plasma membranes.
E) The plasma membranes of all cell types within a particular organism have basically
the same lipid and protein composition.

2. The inner (plasma) membrane of E. coli is about 75% lipid and 25% protein by
weight. How many molecules of membrane lipid are there for each molecule of
protein? (Assume that the average protein is Mr 50,000 and the average lipid is
750.)
A) 1
B) 50
C) 200
D) 10,000
E) 50,000

3. Which statement about the composition of biological membranes is FALSE?

A) In a given eukaryotic cell type (e.g., a hepatocyte), all intracellular membranes
have essentially the same complement of lipids and proteins.
B) The carbohydrate found in membranes is virtually all part of either glycolipids or
glycoproteins.
C) The plasma membranes of the cells of vertebrate animals contain more cholesterol
than the mitochondrial membranes.
D) The ratio of lipid to protein varies widely among cell types in a single organism.
E) Triacylglycerols are not commonly found in membranes.

4. Which statement about the composition of membranes is TRUE?

A) All biological membranes contain cholesterol.
B) Free fatty acids are major components of all membranes.
C) The inner and outer membranes of mitochondria have different protein
compositions.
D) The lipid composition of all membranes of eukaryotic cells is essentially the same.
E) The lipid:protein ratio varies from about 1:4 to 4:1.

Page 1
 5. Membrane proteins:
A) are sometimes covalently attached to lipid moieties.
B) are sometimes covalently attached to carbohydrate moieties.
C) are composed of the same 20 amino acids found in soluble proteins.
D) diffuse laterally in the membrane unless they are anchored
E) All of the answers are correct.

6. Peripheral membrane proteins:

A) are generally noncovalently bound to membrane lipids.
B) are usually denatured when released from membranes.
C) can be released from membranes only by treatment with detergent(s).
D) may have functional units on both sides of the membrane.
E) penetrate deeply into the lipid bilayer.

7. An integral membrane protein can be extracted with:

A) a buffer of alkaline or acid pH.
B) a chelating agent that removes divalent cations.
C) a solution containing detergent.
D) a solution of high ionic strength.
E) hot water.

8. The shortest  helix segment in a protein that will span a membrane bilayer has
about _____ amino acid residues.
A) 5
B) 20
C) 50
D) 100
E) 200

9. A hydropathy plot is used to:

A) determine the water-solubility of a protein.
B) deduce the quaternary structure of a membrane protein.
C) determine the water content of a native protein.
D) extrapolate for the true molecular weight of a membrane protein.
E) predict whether a given protein sequence contains membrane-spanning segments.

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 10. Which statement is generally TRUE of integral membrane proteins?
A) The secondary structure in the transmembrane region consists solely of  helices or
 sheets.
B) The domains that protrude on the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane nearly
always have covalently attached oligosaccharides.
C) They are unusually susceptible to degradation by trypsin.
D) They can be removed from the membrane with high salt or mild denaturing agents.
E) They undergo constant rotational motion that moves a given domain from the outer
face of a membrane to the inner face and then back to the outer.

11. Which statement describes a general feature of the lipid bilayer in all biological
membranes?
A) Individual lipid molecules are free to diffuse laterally in the surface of the bilayer.
B) Individual lipid molecules in one face (monolayer) of the bilayer readily diffuse
(flip-flop) to the other monolayer.
C) Polar, but uncharged, compounds readily diffuse across the bilayer.
D) The bilayer is stabilized by covalent bonds between neighboring phospholipid
molecules.
E) The polar head groups face inward toward the inside of the bilayer.

12. Which enzymes are NOT involved in moving phospholipids from one leaflet to
another?
A) flippases that move phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine
B) floppases that move phospholipids from the cytosolic leaflet to the extracellular
leaflet
C) flip-floppases that allow phospholipids to move back and forth between the inner
and outer leaflets
D) scramblases that allow phospholipids to move down their concentration gradient
E) phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins that play a role in lipid signaling

13. The fluidity of the lipid side chains in the interior of a bilayer is generally
increased by:
A) a decrease in temperature.
B) an increase in fatty acyl chain length.
C) an increase in the number of double bonds in fatty acids.
D) an increase in the percentage of phosphatidyl ethanolamine
E) the binding of water to the fatty acyl side chains.

Page 3
 14. The fluidity of a lipid bilayer will be increased by:
A) decreasing the number of unsaturated fatty acids.
B) decreasing the temperature.
C) increasing the length of the alkyl chains.
D) increasing the temperature.
E) substituting 18:0 (stearic acid) in place of 18:2 (linoleic acid).

15. When a bacterium such as E. coli is shifted from a warmer growth temperature to
a cooler growth temperature, it compensates by:
A) increasing its metabolic rate to generate more heat.
B) putting longer-chain fatty acids into its membranes.
C) putting more unsaturated fatty acids into its membranes.
D) shifting from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism.
E) synthesizing thicker membranes to insulate the cell.

16. Which statement about caveolin is FALSE?

A) Caveolin is an integral membrane protein.
B) Caveolin induces outward membrane curvature.
C) Caveolin is palmitoylated.
D) Caveolin associates with cholesterol rich regions.
E) Caveolin is involved in membrane trafficking and cellular signaling.

17. Membrane fusion leading to neurotransmitter release requires the action of:
A) cadherins.
B) selectins.
C) flipases.
D) tSNARE and vSNARE.
E) None of the answers is correct.

18. Which step is NOT involved in neurotransmitter release at a synapse?

A) creation of a fusion pore
B) hemifusion induced by zipping and lateral tension on the bilayers
C) v-SNARE binding to t-SNARE
D) pore widening and release of neurotransmitter
E) flippase-mediated movement of phosphatidylserine from the inner to the outer
leaflet

Page 4
 19. Integrins are:
A) membrane proteins that are involved in ion transport.
B) membrane proteins that are involved in sugar transport.
C) membrane proteins that mediate cell adhesion.
D) proteins of the extracellular matrix that bind to cell surface proteins.
E) proteins that are found at the membrane-cytoplasm interface.

20. A process NOT involving the fusion of two membranes or two regions of the
same membrane is:
A) endocytosis.
B) entry of enveloped viruses into cells.
C) entry of glucose into cells.
D) exocytosis.
E) reproductive budding in yeast.

21. Which statement about facilitated diffusion across a membrane is TRUE?

A) A specific membrane protein lowers the activation energy for movement of the
solute through the membrane.
B) It can increase the size of a transmembrane concentration gradient of the diffusing
solute.
C) It is impeded by the solubility of the transported solute in the nonpolar interior of
the lipid bilayer.
D) It is responsible for the transport of gases such as O2, N2, and CH4 across biological
membranes.
E) The rate is not saturable by the transported substrate.

22. Facilitated diffusion through a biological membrane is:

A) driven by a difference of solute concentration.
B) driven by ATP.
C) endergonic.
D) generally irreversible.
E) not specific with respect to the substrate

23. Glucose transport into erythrocytes is an example of:

A) active transport.
B) antiport.
C) electrogenic uniport
D) facilitated diffusion.
E) symport.

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 24. For the process of solute transport, the constant Kt is:
A) analogous to Ka for ionization of a weak acid.
B) analogous to Km for an enzyme-catalyzed reaction.
C) analogous to Vmax for an enzyme reaction
D) proportional to the number of molecules of glucose transporter per cell.
E) the maximum rate of glucose transport.

25. Which statement is NOT true about the chloride-bicarbonate exchanger (AE)?
A) The AE protein increases the rate of bicarbonate transport across the membrane.
B) The AE protein uses ATP as an energy source to drive bicarbonate transport.
C) The AE protein transports chloride ions across the membrane.
D) The AE protein is classified as an anti-porter.
E) The AE protein spans the membrane at least 12 times.

26. The type of membrane transport that uses ion gradients as the energy source is:
A) facilitated diffusion
B) passive transport.
C) primary active transport.
D) secondary active transport.
E) simple diffusion.

27. Consider the transport of glucose into an erythrocyte by facilitated diffusion.

What is the free-energy change for glucose uptake into the cell when the glucose
concentrations are 5 mM on the outside and 0.1 mM on the inside? (These
values may be of use to you: R = 8.315 J/mol · K; T = 298 K;  (Faraday
constant) = 96,480 J/V; N = 6.022 × 1023/mol.)
A) less than 2 kJ/mol
B) about 10 kJ/mol
C) about 30 kJ/mol
D) about –30 kJoule/mol
E) It is impossible to calculate without knowledge of the membrane potential.

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 28. Consider the transport of K+ from the blood (where its concentration is about 4
mM) into an erythrocyte that contains 150 mM K+. The transmembrane
potential is about 60 mV, inside negative relative to outside. What is the free-
energy change for this transport process? (These values may be of use to you:
R = 8.315 J/mol . K; T = 298 K;  (Faraday constant) = 96,480 J/V; N = 6.022 ×
1023/mol.)
A) about 5 J/mol
B) about 15 J/mol
C) about 5 kJ/mol
D) about 15 kJ/mol
E) It is impossible to calculate with the information given.

29. An electrogenic Na+ transporter:

A) catalyzes facilitated diffusion of Na+ from a region of high Na+ concentration to
one of lower Na+ concentration.
B) must catalyze an electron transfer (oxidation-reduction) reaction simultaneously
with Na+ transport.
C) must transport both Na+ and a counterion (Cl–, for example).
D) transports Na+ against its concentration gradient.
E) transports Na+ without concurrent transport of any other charged species.

30. In one catalytic cycle, the Na+/K+ ATPase transporter transports:

A) 2 Na+ out, 3 K+ in, and converts 1 ATP to ADP + Pi.
B) 3 Na+ out, 2 K+ in, and converts 1 ATP to ADP + Pi.
C) 3 Na+ in, 2 K+ out, and converts 1 ATP to ADP + Pi.
D) 1 Na+ out, 1 K+ in, and converts 1 ATP to ADP + Pi.
E) 2 Na+ out, 3 K+ in, and converts 1 ADP + Pi to ATP.

31. ABC transporters are NOT known to facilitate moving:

A) cancer drugs out of cancer cells.
B) antibiotics out of bacteria.
C) membrane lipids from the inner leaflet to the outer leaflet.
D) chloride ions in the lung.
E) vitamin E into lipocytes.

32. Movement of water across membranes is facilitated by proteins called:

A) annexins.
B) aquaporins.
C) hydropermeases.
D) selectins.
E) transportins.

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 33. Which statement does NOT describe a process by which the specificity of
aquaporins is ensured?
A) The channel contains a negatively charged Asp residue to scavenge protons and
H3O+.
B) The diameter of the channel narrows to 2.8 Å.
C) There are carbonyl backbone residues in the channel that hydrogen bond with
water.
D) Arg and His residues in the channel repel protons and H3O+.
E) Electric dipoles of short  helices repel protons and H3O+.

34. The specificity of the potassium channel for K+ over Na+ is mainly the result of
the:
A) differential interaction with the selectivity filter protein.
B) hydrophobicity of the channel.
C) phospholipid composition of the channel.
D) presence of carbohydrates in the channel.
E) presence of cholesterol in the channel.

35. A ligand-gated ion channel (such as the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor) is:
A) a charged lipid in the membrane bilayer that allows ions to pass through.
B) a membrane protein that permits a ligand to pass through the membrane only when
opened by the appropriate ion.
C) a membrane protein that permits an ion to pass through the membrane only when
opened by the appropriate ligand.
D) a molecule that binds to the membrane thereby allowing ions to pass through.
E) always requires a second ligand to close the channel once it is opened.

36. Which statement is TRUE regarding lipid anchors?

A) Palmitoylations and prenylations both occur via thioester linkages.
B) GPI anchors and prenylations are both attached to the C-terminal end of the mature
protein.
C) Myristoylations and palmitoylations are both reversible modifications.
D) Prenylations occur exclusively on the outside leaflet of the plasma membrane.

37. Which statement does NOT describe a characteristic of the fluid mosaic model of
membranes?
A) Hydrophobic interactions predominate between lipids in the membrane.
B) Proteins and lipids are able to move laterally at different rates.
C) Protein structures are able to move from one leaflet to another.
D) Noncovalent forces predominate in intermolecular interactions.

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 38. Choline-containing lipids are enriched in the outer leaflet of erythrocyte plasma
membranes. This includes:
A) cardiolipin.
B) phosphatidylinositol.
C) sphingomyelin.
D) phosphatidylcholine.
E) both sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine.

39. Syndecans are proteoglycans that have glycosaminoglycans attached to the N-

terminal domain, a single transmembrane helix and a C-terminal domain that can
be phosphorylated. What type of membrane proteins are these?
A) Type I
B) Type II
C) Type III
D) Type IV
E) Type V

40. Integral membrane proteins tend to be enriched for regular secondary structures
in the transmembrane portions of their structures. Which statement explains this
observation?
A) Regular secondary structures allow for polar amino acids to interact with lipid head
groups.
B) Regular secondary structures allow the polypeptide to interact with the membrane
core.
C) Regular secondary structures are energetically favorable for polypeptides.
D) Regular secondary structures satisfy hydrogen-bonding potential of the backbone
in a hydrophobic environment.

41. What kind of bond can link a palmitoyl anchor to a polypeptide?

A) an ester bond to an internal serine
B) an amide bond to a glycine
C) a thioester to a cysteine
D) an ester bond to the C-terminus.
E) both an ester bond to an internal serine and a thioester to a cysteine

Page 9
 42. What kind of bond can link a myristoyl anchor to a polypeptide?
A) an ester bond to an internal serine
B) an amide bond to a glycine
C) a thioester to a cysteine
D) an ester bond to the C-terminus
E) a thioether bond to a cysteine side chain

43. What kind of bond can link a prenyl anchor to a polypeptide?

A) an ester bond to an internal serine
B) an amide bond to a glycine
C) a thioester to a cysteine
D) an ester bond to the C-terminus
E) a thioether bond to a cysteine side chain

44. Which bond or functional group is NOT found in a GPI anchor?

A) a phosphodiester bond
B) a glycosidic bond
C) a hydroxyl group
D) an ester bond
E) a thioester bond

45. Which phrase BEST describes the term “amphitropic”?

A) cytosolic lipid-linked proteins
B) GPI-linked proteins
C) proteins that are reversibly membrane-associated or cytosolic
D) proteins that are either integral or lipid-linked

46. What is meant by the term “positive-inside rule”?

A) The typical transmembrane potential for plasma membranes is positive on the
inside.
B) Integral plasma membrane proteins commonly have positively charge amino acids
on the cytosolic side.
C) Concentrations of cations are usually higher inside than outside of cells.
D) All of the answers are correct.
E) None of the answers is correct.

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 47. Why are hydropathy plots NOT usually used to detect transmembrane  strands
in porins?
A) The length of a transmembrane  strand is typically shorter than that of an  helix.
B) Amino acids in transmembrane  strands in porins may not be exclusively
hydrophobic.
C) Amino acid side chains project away from the polypeptide in a  sheet
D) Answers A and B are both correct.
E) All of the answers are correct.

48. What is the meaning of the term “annular lipid”?

A) lipids that tend to form micelle structures
B) lipids that are formed from the degradation of phospholipids
C) lipids that are prosthetic groups in lipid-anchored proteins
D) lipids that are found in close association with integral membrane proteins.
E) None of the answers is correct.

49. Membrane lipids in tissue samples obtained from different parts of the leg of an
arctic reindeer have different fatty acid compositions. Logically, what difference
would you predict?
A) Membrane lipids from tissue near the hooves (feet) contain a greater proportion of
unsaturated fatty acids relative to that in the upper leg.
B) Membrane lipids from tissue in the upper leg contain a greater proportion of
unsaturated fatty acids relative to that in the hooves (feet).
C) Both answers A and B are equally likely.
D) Neither answer A nor B is likely.

50. Bacterial cells change the fluidity of their lipid membranes to adapt to growth at
lower temperatures by increasing the synthesis of:
A) cholesterol.
B) long-chain fatty acids and increasing the saturation of their membrane lipids.
C) both long- and short-chain fatty acids.
D) long-chain fatty acids and decreasing the saturation of their membrane lipids.
E) short-chain fatty acids and decreasing the saturation of their membrane lipids.

51. As the temperature for a membrane lipid preparation is raised, what would be the
order of states that would be adopted?
A) liquid-ordered, gel phase, liquid-disordered
B) liquid-disordered, liquid-ordered, gel phase
C) liquid-disordered, gel phase, liquid-ordered
D) gel phase, liquid-disordered, liquid-ordered
E) gel phase, liquid-ordered, liquid-disordered

Page 11
 52. In humans, the fatty acid composition of membrane lipids in skin cells is
different from the fatty acid composition of membrane lipids in the internal
organs because the internal organs function at a slightly higher temperature.
Which difference in fatty acid composition is MOST likely to be observed?
A) Skin cells show lower levels of 18:0 relative to 18:1 AND higher levels of 16:0
relative to 18:0.
B) Skin cells show higher levels of 20:0 relative to 18:0 AND higher levels of 18:2
relative to 18:0.
C) Skin cells show lower levels of 20:0 relative to 18:0 AND lower levels of 18:0
relative to 18:2.
D) Skin cells show higher levels of 18:2 relative to 18:0 AND lower levels of 16:0
relative to 18:0.
E) Both answers A and C are true.

53. Which transporter will move lipids from the cytosolic leaflet to the outer leaflet
of a plasma membrane?
A) a flippase
B) a floppase
C) a scramblase
D) both a flippase and a floppase
E) both a floppase and a scramblase

54. Which transporter will move lipids from the outer leaflet to the cytosolic leaflet
of a plasma membrane?
A) a flippase
B) a floppase
C) a scramblase
D) both a flippase and a floppase
E) both a flippase and a scramblase

55. Which transporters can be classified as active transporters?

A) flippases
B) floppases
C) scramblases
D) both flippases and floppases
E) both flippases and scramblases

Page 12
 56. FRAP experiments are generally used in membrane studies to examine:
A) transverse diffusion rates.
B) active transport rates.
C) lateral diffusion rates.
D) both transverse diffusion rates and active transport rates.
E) both transverse diffusion rates and lateral diffusion rates.

57. Which compound(s) is/are NOT enriched in lipid rafts?

A) sphingolipids
B) cholesterol
C) GPI-linked proteins
D) farnesylated proteins
E) All of these molecules are enriched in lipid rafts.

58. Which process represents the HIGHEST energy state in membrane fusion?
A) formation of coiled-coils in SNARE proteins
B) formation of the fusion pore
C) the hemifusion state
D) the expansion of the fusion pore
E) lipid mixing in both outer and inner leaflets

59. What is the CORRECT order of steps in vesicle fusion to a cell?

A) outer leaflet lipid mixing, content release, inner leaflet lipid mixing
B) outer leaflet lipid mixing, inner leaflet lipid mixing, content release
C) inner leaflet lipid mixing, content release, outer leaflet lipid mixing
D) inner-leaflet lipid mixing, outer leaflet lipid mixing, content release
E) content release, inner leaflet lipid mixing, outer leaflet lipid mixing

60. P-type ATPase transporters such as the SERCA pumps can be classified as
enzymes. As what enzyme class would they be classified?
A) oxidoreductases
B) transferases
C) hydrolases
D) lyases
E) ligases

Page 13
 61. If a monovalent cation is being imported into a cell in the absence of a
concentration gradient (i.e., the concentration for the transported cation is equal
on both sides of the membrane), what could you predict about Gt? Assume the
transmembrane potential is 50mV (inside negative).
A) The value of Gt will have a positive sign.
B) The value of Gt will have a negative sign.
C) The value of Gt will likely be close to zero.
D) It is impossible to predict anything about the value of Gt.

62. Which process does NOT require a protein facilitator?

A) simple diffusion
B) ionophore-mediated diffusion
C) a primary active uniport
D) a passive antiporter
E) both simple diffusion and ionophore-mediated diffusion

63. Which statement is TRUE concerning the chloride-bicarbonate exchanger?

A) This transporter is electrogenic.
B) The exchanger is a passive antiporter.
C) This protein is involved in carbon dioxide transport in the blood stream.
D) The exchanger is a passive antiporter, and this protein is involved in carbon dioxide
transport in the blood stream.
E) This transporter is electrogenic, and the exchanger is a passive antiporter.

64. Which statement does NOT describe a characteristic of valinomycin?

A) This can act as an antibiotic.
B) This molecule is a small protein.
C) This compound preferentially transports potassium ions over sodium ions.
D) This compound has carbonyl groups that form coordination bonds to ions.

65. Which structure describes an integral membrane protein containing a  barrel?

A) maltoporin
B) aquaporin
C) E. coli OmpF
D) both maltoporin and E. coli OmpF
E) both maltoporin and aquaporin

Page 14
 66. Which factor MOST significantly determines the direction in which an ion moves
through an ion channel in a membrane?
A) the electrochemical gradient across the membrane
B) the size and shape of the channel
C) the ion selectivity of the channel.
D) both the electrochemical gradient across the membrane and the size and shape of
the channel
E) both the size and shape of the channel and the ion selectivity of the channel

67. Which statement is TRUE for passive transport across a biological membrane?
A) Passive transport is driven by a solute electrochemical gradient.
B) Passive transport is driven by ATP.
C) Passive transport is irreversible.
D) Passive transport is driven by both a solute electrochemical gradient ATP.
E) Passive transport is driven by a solute electrochemical gradient and is irreversible.

68. GLUT1 has a Kt of 1.5 mM for glucose and a Kt of 30 mM for galactose. What
concentration of galactose would be required to reach the same rate of import as
5mM glucose?
A) 3 mM
B) 10 mM
C) 15 mM
D) 30 mM
E) 100 mM

69. Which statement is TRUE regarding the SERCA pump?

A) The E1 conformation has a higher Kd value for Ca2+ than the E2 conformation.
B) The P domain contains a high-energy acyl phosphate structure when it is
phosphorylated.
C) Three calcium ions are moved in each cycle of the transporter.
D) This protein can be classified as an antiport.
E) None of the statements is true.

70. You have discovered a protein that transports Ca2+ up a concentration gradient,
from the cytoplasm into the endoplasmic reticulum. No other ions move during
this transport. What type of transport protein does this appear to be?
A) a Ca2+ channel
B) a Ca2+ ion porin
C) a primary active uniporter
D) a secondary active uniporter
E) an ionophore

Page 15
 71. Which statement is FALSE regarding the major facilitator superfamily of
transporters?
A) These proteins are all secondary active transporters.
B) Both GLUT1 and lactose permease belong to this family.
C) These proteins contain two domains within the membrane.
D) These proteins contain 12 or 14 transmembrane  helices

72. What prevents proton translocation through aquaporins?

A) Asp and Glu residues bind to protons to prevent their translocation.
B) Carbonyl groups in the selectivity filter interact with water molecules.
C) Two side chain amide groups act as hydrogen bond donors to a single water
molecule.
D) All of the answers are correct.
E) None of the answers is correct.

73. Which factor contributes to the selectivity pore of the potassium channel from S.
lividans?
A) backbone carbonyl groups in irregular secondary structures
B) negatively charged amino acids near the channel opening
C) the N-terminal ends of 4  helices
D) both backbone carbonyl groups in irregular secondary structures and negatively
charged amino acids near the channel opening
E) both backbone carbonyl groups in irregular secondary structures and the N-
terminal ends of 4  helices

74. The plasma membrane of an animal cell consists of 45% by weight of phospholipid and
55% protein. What is the mole ratio (moles of lipid/moles of protein) if the average
molecular weight of phospholipids is 750 and the average molecular weight of
membrane proteins is 50,000?

75. (a) List three different major components of eukaryotic membranes. (b) When a
preparation of mitochondrial membranes was treated with high salt (0.5 M NaCl), it was
observed that 40% of the total protein in this preparation was solubilized. What kind of
membrane proteins are in this soluble extract, and what forces normally hold them to the
membrane? (c) What kind of proteins constitute the insoluble 60%, and what forces hold
these proteins in the membrane?

76. What are the principle features of the fluid mosaic model of membranes?

Page 16
77. Describe the structure of a biological membrane as proposed by the fluid mosaic model.
Indicate the positions and orientations of phospholipids, cholesterol, integral and
peripheral membrane proteins, and the carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins and
glycolipids.

78. What is an amphipathic compound? Explain how such compounds contribute to the
structure of biological membranes.

79. (a) When relatively high concentrations of fatty acids are suspended in water, they form
structures known as _____. (b) When relatively high concentrations of membrane
phospholipids are dissolved in water, they form structures known as _____. (c) Why
are the structures listed in your answers to (a) and (b) above energetically favored?

80. (a) Explain why phosphoglycerides are capable of spontaneously assembling into the
bilayer structure found in biological membranes but triacylglycerols are not. (b) What
are the forces that drive bilayer formation?

81. Reagents A and B both react covalently with primary amino groups such as those of
phosphatidylethanolamine. Reagent A permeates erythrocytes, but reagent B is
impermeant. Both A and B are available in radioisotopically labeled form. Describe a
simple experiment by which you might determine whether the
phosphatidylethanolamine of erythrocyte membranes is located in the outside face of the
lipid bilayer, the inside face, or in both.

82. Explain the differences between integral and peripheral membrane proteins.

83. (a) What kinds of forces or bonds anchor an integral membrane protein in a biological
membrane? (b) What forces hold a peripheral membrane protein to the membrane?
(c) What might one do to solubilize each of the two types of membrane proteins?

84. A protein is found to extend all the way through the membrane of a cell. Describe this
protein in terms of the location of particular types of amino acid side chains in its
structure and its ability to move within the membrane.

85. If the hydrophobic interior of a membrane were about 3 nm thick, what would be the
minimum number of amino acids in a stretch of transmembrane  helix?

Page 17
86. Describe a hydropathy plot for a hypothetical integral membrane protein with 3
transmembrane segments and containing 190 amino acids.

87. You are trying to isolate an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of A  B, and you
have a sensitive assay for this enzyme. After lysing open the cells, you find that the
activity is associated with the membrane fraction, not the soluble fraction (which you
throw away). You then follow the procedure shown below. Explain the sudden re-
occurrence of activity at the end of your protocol.

88. The bacterium E. coli can grow at 20 °C or at 40 °C. At which growth temperature
would you expect the membrane phospholipids to have a higher ratio of saturated to
unsaturated fatty acids, and why?

89. Describe two different ways a plant can adjust the components of its cell membranes to
keep them as fluid as possible on a cold winter morning.

90. A plant breeder has developed a new frost-resistant variety of tomato that contains
higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids in membrane lipids than those found in standard
tomato varieties. However, when temperatures climb above 95 °F, this frost-resistant
variety dies, whereas the standard variety continues to grow. Provide a likely
explanation of the biochemical basis of increased tolerance to cold and increased
susceptibility to heat of this new tomato variety.

Page 18
91. a) What is meant by the transition temperature of a membrane? List the two
characteristics of the fatty acids in a biological membrane that affect the transition
temperature. Using  or , show in which direction an increase in these characteristics
would change the transition temperature.

92. Glycosphingolipids and cholesterol cluster together in membrane regions known as

“_____.” These microdomains are more _____ than the surrounding phospholipid-rich
membrane due to a high content of _____ fatty acids. These regions are rich in proteins
that are anchored to the membrane by covalently attached _____ and _____ groups and
also those anchored by GPI linkage. Proteins aggregated in this fashion are often
functionally related. Examples are (1) _____ proteins and (2) _____ proteins.

93. What are the similarities and differences between integrins, cadherins, and selectins?

94. Distinguish between simple diffusion (SD), facilitated diffusion (FD), and active
transport (AT) across a membrane for the following questions. (More than one may be
true.)

(a) Which processes are energy dependent?

(b) Which processes need some kind of carrier protein(s)?
(c) Which processes can be saturated by substrate?
(d) Which processes can establish a concentration gradient?
(e) How much energy does it take to transport an uncharged substrate in, if its starting
inside concentration is 10-fold greater than outside?

95. Explain why nonpolar compounds are generally able to diffuse across biological
membranes without the aid of a specific transport system.

96. Compare the structure and activity of a membrane transport protein that transports a
polar substance across a membrane with a typical soluble enzyme. How are transporter
and enzyme similar? How are they different?

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 97. Transport of histidine into a bacterial cell was measured at several different histidine
concentrations. Does histidine uptake operate by passive or facilitated transport, and
why?

Histidine (M) Transport (M/min)

2.5 42.5
7 119
16 240
31 490
72 1,000

98. Compare and contrast symport and antiport. Which term best describes the transport
system mediated by the Na+K+ ATPase?

99. What are three differences between ion channels and ion transporters?

100. What is the major difference between gated and nongated ion channels? Give an
example of two different gating signals.

101. What symmetry types (e.g., cyclic, dihedral, icosahedral) would you expect transport
proteins to exhibit? Why?

102. Hydropathy analysis of the genomic sequence of the Type I membrane protein
glycophorin A reveals two hydrophobic portions of the sequence that could correspond
to transmembrane helices: one from residues 1–19 and one from residues 92–114. Only
one of these helices is present in the mature proteins. Which one? What is the function
of the other helix?

103. Calculate the free-energy change associated with pumping protons out of a cell if the pH
inside is 7 while the pH outside is 6. Assume 37°C (310K) and a 50 mV membrane
potential (inside negative). (R = 8.315 J mol–1 K–1; Faraday constant = 96,480 J V–1.)

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104. The following sequence is taken from an integral membrane protein.

Which part of this sequence most likely corresponds to a transmembrane helix?

105. In a chloride channel, an -helix is found to be part of the specificity filter. Which end
of the helix do you expect to be interacting with the chloride anions and why?

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Answer Key

1. C
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. E
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. E
10. A
11. A
12. C
13. C
14. D
15. C
16. B
17. D
18. E
19. C
20. C
21. A
22. A
23. D
24. B
25. B
26. D
27. B
28. D
29. E
30. B
31. E
32. B
33. A
34. A
35. C
36. B
37. C
38. E
39. A
40. D
41. E
42. B
43. E
44. E

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45. C
46. B
47. D
48. D
49. A
50. E
51. E
52. E
53. E
54. E
55. D
56. C
57. D
58. C
59. B
60. C
61. B
62. E
63. D
64. B
65. D
66. A
67. A
68. B
69. B
70. C
71. A
72. C
73. D
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.

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 91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.

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