Question

Integral membrane proteins have been engineered to lack the portion that normally projects into the extracellular space. When the gene is inserted in cells, what happens to the mobility of this protein in the membrane?

a) They move at a much greater rate than the wild type protein.
b) They move at a much smaller rate than the intact protein.
c) They do not move at all.
d) They are not inserted into the membrane so nothing can be learned about their mobility.
e) They flip to the opposite leaflet.

Answer 1

Integral membrane proteins that lack the portion projecting into the extracellular space do not move at all in the membrane.

Step-by-step explanation:

When integral membrane proteins are engineered to lack the portion that normally projects into the extracellular space, their mobility in the membrane is affected. In this case, the mobility of the protein in the membrane does not move at all (option c). The portion that is removed is important for the protein's ability to move within the membrane.