Insertion of Proteins into the ER Membrane
Proteins destined for secretion or residence within the lumen of the ER, Golgi apparatus, or lysosomes are translocated across the ER membrane and released into the lumen of the ER as already described. However, proteins destined for incorporation into the plasma membrane or the membranes of the ER, Golgi, or lysosomes are initially inserted into the ER membrane instead of being released into the lumen. From the ER membrane, they proceed to their final destination along the same pathway as that of secretory proteins: ER Golgi plasma membrane or lysosomes. These proteins are transported along this pathway as membrane components, however, rather than as soluble proteins.
Integral membrane proteins are embedded in the membrane by hydrophobic regions that span the phospholipid bilayer (see Figure 2.48). The membrane-spanning portions of these proteins are usually -helical regions consisting of 20 to 25 hydrophobic amino acids. The formation of an helix maximizes hydrogen bonding between the peptide bonds, and the hydrophobic amino acid side chains interact with the fatty acid tails of the phospholipids. However, different integral membrane proteins differ in how they are inserted (Figure 9.9).