Eukaryote membranes, solute transport across

Figure 1. Solute transfer across an idealised eukaryote epithelium. The solute must move from the bulk solution (e.g. the external environment, or a body fluid) into an unstirred layer comprising water/mucus secretions, prior to binding to membrane-spanning carrier proteins (and the glycocalyx) which enable solute import. Solutes may then move across the cell by diffusion, or via specific cytosolic carriers, prior to export from the cell. Thus the overall process involves 1. Adsorption 2. Import 3. Solute transfer 4. Export. Some electrolytes may move between the cells (paracellular) by diffusion. The driving force for transport is often an energy-requiring pump (primary transport) located on the basolateral or serosal membrane (blood side), such as an ATPase. Outward electrochemical gradients for other solutes (X+) may drive import of the required solute (M+, metal ion) at the mucosal membrane by an antiporter (AP). Alternatively, the movement of X+ down its electrochemical gradient could enable M+ transport in the same direction across the membrane on a symporter (SP). A, diffusive anion such as chloride. Kl-6 refers to the equilibrium constants for each step in the metal transfer process, Kn indicates that there may be more than one intracellular compartment involved in storage. See the text for details...

Transport of Solutes Across Biological Membranes in Eukaryotes an Environmental Perspective... 

Handy, R. D. and Eddy, F. B. (2004). Transport of solutes across biological membranes in eukaryotes sodium and copper homeostasis in gill epithelial cells, In Physicochemical Kinetics and Transport at Biointerfaces, eds. van Leeuwen, H. P. and Koster, W., Yol. 9, IUPAC Series on Analytical and Physical Chemistry of Environmental Systems, Series eds. Buffle, J. and van Leeuwen, H. P., John Wiley Sons, Ltd, Chichester, pp. 337-356. 

Active transport of a solute against a concentration gradient also can be driven by a flow of an ion down its concentration gradient. Table 17.6 lists some of the active-transport systems that operate in this way. In some cases, the ion moves across the membrane in the opposite direction to the primary substrate (antiport) in others, the two species move in the same direction (symport). Many eukaryotic cells take up neutral amino acids by coupling this uptake to the inward movement of Na+ (see fig. 17.26c). As we discussed previously, Na+ influx is downhill thermodynamically because the Na+-K+ pump keeps the intracellular concentration of Na+ lower than the extracellular concentration and sets up a favorable electric potential difference across the membrane. Another example is the /3-galactosidc transport system of E. coli, which couples uptake of lactose to the inward flow of protons (see fig. 17.26Proton influx is downhill because electron-transfer reactions (or,... 

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