n an aqueous solution, purified phospholipids will form sealed spherical vesicle
ID: 273444 • Letter: N
Question
n an aqueous solution, purified phospholipids will form sealed spherical vesicles es. Researchers can mix these phospholipids with membrane proteins, which allow Q2: When placed i them to study the function of these membrane proteins in vitro. posomes containing two different membrane proteins Bacteriorhodopsin, a light-driven H+ pump from photosynthetic bacteria purified ATP-synthase from the mitochondria of a cow heart - detergent LIGHT sealed vesicle You then add ADP + Pi to the liposome solution, and shine a light on the test tube.Explanation / Answer
Phospholipids are amphipathic molecules. They form lipid bilayers when suspended in aqueous solutions.
a. When we shine light on the liposome, bacteriorhodopsin gets activated and pumps protons into the liposome. This leads to the generation of proton gradient across the lipid bilayer. This proton gradient is utilized by ATP synthase complex to couple ATP synthesis from ADP and Pi.
b. If the lipid bilayer also contains an open H+ channel, protons would leak out. This would lead to the dissipation of the proton gradient. So, ATP synthesis would not occur.
c. When we mix proteins from two different species in the liposome, we could still observe the production of ATP in the given case. This shows the basic conservation of underlying metabolic reactions in all the living organisms. This supports the idea that all living organisms evolved from a common ancestor.
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