Question

The low pH inside endosomes:

A. destroys internalized cargo proteins.
B. destroy internalized receptors.
C. causes internalized receptors to release their cargo.
D. causes cargo proteins to bind to their receptors.

Answer 1

The acidic pH inside endosomes causes internalized receptors to release their cargo, an essential process in receptor-mediated endocytosis within cellular compartments such as lysosomes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The low pH inside endosomes is crucial for the dissociation of cargo from the receptors after internalization. When receptors carrying cargo bind to the endosomal membrane, the acidic conditions facilitate this separation. As the sorting vesicle ultimately transforms into a lysosome, its highly acidic environment activates enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of the contents, which includes the breakdown of cargo proteins if necessary. The importance of this mechanism is that it specifically allows the cargo to be released inside the cell, which is crucial for processes such as receptor-mediated endocytosis. Therefore, the correct answer is C. causes internalized receptors to release their cargo.