Question

You have generated antibodies that recognize the extracellular domain of the Ca2+ pump. Adding these antibodies to animal cells blocks the active transport of Ca2+ from the cytosol into the extracellular environment. What do you expect to observe with respect to intracellular Ca2+?

Answer 1

Adding antibodies to block the Ca2+ pump in animal cells leads to an accumulation of Ca2+ inside the cells, as the pump's role in actively transporting Ca2+ out of the cell is inhibited.

Step-by-step explanation:

If antibodies that recognize the extracellular domain of the Ca2+ pump are added to animal cells, one would expect to observe an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. This is because the antibodies will block the active transport of Ca2+, which is normally pumped out of the cells into the extracellular environment using ATP.

Without the function of the Ca2+ pumps, Ca2+ ions will accumulate inside the cell, as the usual outward flow of calcium ions is inhibited. This elevated level of Ca2+ inside the cell can have various effects depending on the cell type, such as triggering insulin release in pancreatic β-cells or causing muscle contractions in muscle cells.