Week 9: Intracellular Compartments and Protein Sorting Flashcards
Section 2: Week 3
List some of the major intracellular compartments and their significance
- Mitochondrion: ATP synthesis
- Gogli apparatus: Modifies protiens & lipids
- Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (with membrane-bound ribosomes)
- Nucleus: RNA, DNA synthesis
- Endosome: Endocytosis
- Lysosome: Digestive enzymes
- Preoxisome: Oxidative reactions
What components are “intracellular” but are NOT compartments?
- Free ribosomes
- Plasma membrane (not inside but it protects the inside)
- Cytosol
When considering the volumes of intracellular compartments, they will ____________ for different cell types
differ
The cytosol makes up ____ of the volume of a cell
half
What occurs in the cytosol?
Protein synthesis and degredation
What can be found in the cytosol?
Many metabolic pathways and cytoskeleton
True or False: There are more membranes AROUND the cell than IN it
False
What are the two types of membranes that makes up roughly half of a cells (intracellular) membranes?
Smooth ER and Rough ER
Why is rough ER considered “rough”?
Due to its membrane-bound ribsomes
What are the functions of the rough ER
synthesis of soluble proteins (i.e. secreted proteins) and transmembrane proteins for the endomembrane
What are the functions of smooth ER
phospholipid synthesis, detoxification
Why do liver hepatocytes have more smooth ER in comparison to pancreatic exocrine cells?
Liver hepatocytes have more smooth ER because of the detoxification of smooth ER
Why do pancreatic exocrine cells have more rough ER in comparison to liver hepatocyte cells?
Pancreatic exocrine cells have more rough ER because of their need to create secreted proteins like enzymes
What is the definition of an organelle?
A discrete structure or subcompartment of a eukaryotic cell that is specialized to carry out a particular function
What are examples of membrane-enclosed organelles?
- Nucleus
- ER
- Gogli apparatus
What are examples of organelles that are not membrane-bound?
- Nucleolus
- Centrosome
(which are known as biomolecular condensates)
Proteins are __________-________
nuclear; encoded
Which proteins do not get sorted? Why?
Cytosolic proteins (whose default location is the cytosol) do not get sorted because they have no sorting signal
Why do some proteins get sorted?
Some proteins get sorted because they have a sorting signal called a Signal sequence
What is a signal sequence?
A signal sequence is a specific sequence of amino acids that tells the cell where the protein should go. It is NOT added on separately as it is originally coded for by the mRNA and by the genome.
What do signal sequences specify?
They specify what location to bring the protein to, whether it be the nucleus, mitochondria, ER, peroxisomes, etc
In terms of folding, what can happen to proteins that have a signal sequence after they are synthesized but BEFORE they get sorted?
Three things can happen:
1. folded FIRST then sorted and STAYS folded
2. unfolded FIRST thens sorted
3. folded FIRST then sorted, then UNFOLDED
What is post-translational sorting?
Proteins are fully synthesized in cytosol before sorting. Proteins going to the nucleus and peroxisomes are FOLDED. Proteins going to the mitochondria and plastids are UNFOLDED.
What is co-translational sorting?
Proteins are sorted during protein synthesis. These proteins are associated with the ER.