Question

The cell fusion experiments of Larry Frye and Michael Edidin of Johns Hopkins University:

a. covalently linked fluorescent dyes to antibodies for membrane proteins.
b. fused cells from mice and from humans
c. showed that membrane proteins could move within the plane of the membrane
d. were more difficult to perform at lower temp.
e. all choices are correct

Answer 1

The cell fusion experiments by Frye and Edidin proved that membrane proteins could move within the membrane, supporting the Fluid Mosaic Model of the membrane structure and how proteins behave within this structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cell fusion experiments conducted by Larry Frye and Michael Edidin provided significant insights into the behavior of membrane proteins. These experiments involved covalently linking fluorescent dyes to antibodies for membrane proteins, which were then fused to cells from mice and humans. The results demonstrated that membrane proteins could move within the plane of the membrane, supporting the Fluid Mosaic Model proposed by Singer and Nicolson. It was also observed that such experiments were more challenging to perform at lower temperatures, likely because reduced temperature affects the fluidity of the membrane and the mobility of proteins within it. Overall, their work confirmed the dynamic nature of the cell membrane, where proteins are not static but are free to move laterally, acting like tiles in a mosaic of a phospholipid medium.