A tangle of pockets, tubes and sac-like membrane structures runs through the cells of humans, animals, plants and fungi—the endoplasmic reticulum, or ER for short. In the ER, proteins are manufactured, folded into their ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 26, 2023
0
8
Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center studied the structure and function of a transporter involved in cancer and immunity. They captured six structures ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 23, 2023
0
83
Creating artificial cells with life-like characteristics out of a minimal set of components is a major goal of synthetic biology. Autonomous motion is a key capability here, and one that is difficult to reproduce in the test ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 19, 2023
0
27
Assemblies of tiny molecular proteins span the membranes that encapsulate our cells, directing cellular activities and regulating the transport of materials and information in and out.
Biotechnology
May 17, 2023
0
53
Electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET) is emerging as a powerful technique to provide detailed 3D images of cellular environments and enclosed biomolecules. However, one of the challenges of the methodology is the identification ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 15, 2023
0
224
CRISPR claimed scientific fame for its ability to quickly and accurately edit genes. But, at the core, CRISPR systems are immune systems that help bacteria protect themselves from viruses by targeting and destroying viral ...
Biotechnology
Apr 27, 2023
0
13
Cell membranes play a critical role by serving as containment units and separating the inner cellular space from the extracellular environment. Proteins with distinct functional units play a key role in facilitating protein-membrane ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 26, 2023
0
27
For the nutrients that feed our cells to reach their destination, proteins embedded in the cell membrane often must shuttle what's needed across the threshold. When this system breaks down and metabolites fail to reach their ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 26, 2023
0
13
The cells of living organisms are equipped with proteins that are involved in the shaping and remodeling of cellular membranes, thereby performing important tasks. The cell membrane encloses the cell interior, but is constantly ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 25, 2023
0
205
CycPeptMPDB, a novel database created by Tokyo Tech researchers, focuses on the membrane permeability of cyclic peptides and could accelerate the development of drugs based on these promising compounds. This database was ...
Biochemistry
Apr 5, 2023
0
36
A membrane protein is a protein molecule that is attached to, or associated with the membrane of a cell or an organelle. More than half of all proteins interact with membranes.
Biological membranes consist of a phospholipid bilayer and a variety of proteins that accomplish vital biological functions. Structural proteins are attached to microfilaments in the cytoskeleton which ensures stability of the cell. Cell recognition proteins allow cells to identify each other and interact. Such proteins are involved in immune response, for example. Membrane enzymes produce a variety of substances essential for cell function. Membrane receptor proteins serve as connection between the cell's internal and external environments. Finally, transport proteins play an important role in the maintenance of concentrations of ions. These transport proteins come in two forms: carrier proteins and channel proteins. Carrier proteins are involved in using the energy released from ATP being broken down to facilitate active transport and ion exchange. These processes ensure that useful substances are able to enter the cell and that toxic substances are pumped out of the cell.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
