Question

Chloride ion (Cl-) concentrations are approximately 10x higher outside of cells than inside. Imagine you discovered a novel protein that is required in liver cells for transporting Cl- out of the cell up its concentration gradient, and further found that this protein only functions if the Na+/K+ ATPase is active. Which of the following might you reasonably conclude about the Cl- transport protein?A. It could be a Na+/Cl- symporterB. It could be a K+/Cl- symporterC. It could be a Cl- ATPaseD. It must be a Cl- channel

Answer 1

B. It could be a K+/Cl- symporter.

Step-by-step explanation:

It could be a K+/Cl- symporter.

It is dependent on either the Na+ or the K+ gradient for its energy. Symport with Na+ would require co-transport into the cell (down the Na+ gradient), but our novel protein transports Cl- out of the cell.