Consider a transmembrane protein that forms a hydrophilic pore across the plasma membrane of a eukaryotic cell, allowing Na+ to enter the cell when it is activated upon binding a specific ligand on its extracellular side. It is made of five similar transmembrane subunits, each containing a membrane-spanning α helix with hydrophilic amino acid side chains on one surface of the helix and hydrophobic amino acid side chains on the opposite surface. Considering the function of the protein as a channel for Na+ ions to enter the cell, propose a possible arrangement of the five membrane-spanning α helices in the membrane.

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
11th Edition
ISBN:9780134580999
Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
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Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation
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Consider a transmembrane protein that forms a hydrophilic pore across the plasma membrane of a eukaryotic cell, allowing Na+ to enter the cell when it is activated upon binding a specific ligand on its extracellular side. It is made of five similar transmembrane subunits, each containing a membrane-spanning α helix with hydrophilic amino acid side chains on one surface of the helix and hydrophobic amino acid side chains on the opposite surface. Considering the function of the protein as a channel for Na+ ions to enter the cell, propose a possible arrangement of the five membrane-spanning α helices in the membrane.

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