Cell Membrane

Long chain saturated = most gel like properties

Short chain unsaturated = most sol like properties
Cholesterol in cell membrane, up to 1 molecule per phospholipid. Reduces
permeability of membrane. Orient themselves with hydroxyl group close to
hydrophilic so rigid, steroid rings interact, and partly immobilise, the regions of
hydrocarbon closest to polar head group so less deformable in that region,
decreasing permeability of membrane. Although makes membrane less fluid, in
high concentrations, can increase fluidity by preventing coming together and
crystallisation, lowers gel-sol transition temperature, and possible phase
transitions.
4 main types of phospholipids, make up more than half of membrane
phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine,
sphingomyelin. Phosphatidylserine is the only charged phospholipid, carries net
negative charge. Phospholipids that have choline in their heads sphingomyelin
and phosphatidylcholine - are usually found in the outer layer while those that
have a terminal amine group phosphatidylethanolamine and
phosphatidylserine - are usually found in the inner layer.
Shpingolipids have long straight hydrocarbon chains, van der waals strong
enough to hold adjacent molecules. Lipid rafts form, where sphingolipids become
concentrated. These parts are thicker than other parts of bilayer. In lipid rafts,
long hydrocarbon chains of one monolayer interact with that of the other
monolayer.
Phosphatidylinositol rare though found on cytosolic side. Useful in intracellular
signalling. Lipid kinases phosphorylate inositol ring at distinct positions, proteins
are recruited from cytoplasm to membrane. Can aid with transport of materials.
Inositol phospholipid can be cleaved into 2 segments, one of which activates
cellular components while the other remains in the membrane to activate protein
kinases signal relayed into cell.
RBC used to determine bilayer nature of membrane RBC has no
organelles/nucleus, phospholipid x2 of surface area of RBC. Osmium teraoxide
stains phosphate heads of phospholipid. In electron micrograph, two distinct
black lines with white, unstained centre.
Glycolipids formed by addition of sugar group to lipids in the Golgi body,
equivalent to the outside of the cell topologically found on noncytosolic side.
Gangliosides are complex glycolipids made with oligosaccharides with one or
more scialic acid residue, giving net negative charge. Glycolipids exposed to
apical surface of epithelial tissue offer protection against harsh conditions, acidic
environment and degradative enzymes. Charged glycolipids can alter electrical
field around membrane. Lectins, membrane bound carbohydrate binding
proteins, bind to sugar groups of glycolipids/proteins in the process of cell-cell
adhesion. Ganglioside, GM1 is cell surface receptor for Cholera toxin leading to
prolonged increase in intracellular cAMP, which causes efflux of sodium ions and
water into intestinal tract diarrhoea.

Integral proteins can be linked to lipids, eg fatty acids and prenyl groups, on the
cytosolic side of the bilayer.
Lipid linked non cytosolic side proteins are made with transmembrane segment
which is cleaved off and glycosylphosphatidyl (GPI) anchor is added these
proteins can be readily distinguished by Phosphatidylinositol-specific
Phosphokinase C, an enzyme.
Beta barrels are largely restricted to bacterial, mitochondrial and chloroplast
outer membranes. Each beta strand is bound tightly to its neighbours by
hydrogen bonds making it difficult to manipulate for conformational changes
making it hard to be an open/shut ion channel.
Reducing environment of cytosol means that disulphide bonds between cysteine
does not happen only happens on non-cytosolic side and essential for
stabilizing structure or association with other polypeptides.
Transmembrane proteins can be solubilised and purified in detergents, can then
be analysed using SDS polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis.
Diffusion of membrane proteins proved using heterocaryons with labelled
proteins. FRAP and FLIP techniques used.
Lipid confinement limited to outer layer of membrane.
Cell coat, glycocalyx, is the carbohydrate rich zone on cell surface. protect
membrane + used in cell to cell recognition.
Restruction of movement of proteins in membrane = scaffolding proteins, lipid
rafts, attachment to macromolecules, assemble into large aggreagates,
interactions with proteins on another cell membrane.
Spectrin a protein attached to cytoskeleton and is noncovalently attached to the
membrane by association with Ankyrin, a protein attached to the cytosolic
doman of protein band 3. Band 4.1 protein binds to spectrin, actin as well as
cytosolic domain of band 3 and glycophorin.
Distrubed protein localisation can lead to disorders. In healthy cardiac myocytes,
calcium ion channels are arranged in a regular array though this can break down
in heart failure. Arrangement as well as presence of ion channels is important for
normal cell function.