Question

Which one of the following statements is correct about solute transport across membranes?

• A. Passive transporters decrease the activation energy and does not facilitate the transport of polar compounds
• B. The direction in which a charged solute tends to move spontaneously across a membrane does not depend on the electrical gradient across the membrane
• C. All ABC transporters do not have nucleotide binding domain
• D. P-type ATPases get reversibly phosphorylated as a part of transport cycle

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The given question pertains to the mechanism of solute transport across membranes, specifically focusing on the correct statement about the role of different transporters or ATPases. Let's evaluate each given option and determine why the correct option is "P-type ATPases get reversibly phosphorylated as a part of the transport cycle".

1. Option 1: "Passive transporters decrease the activation energy and do not facilitate the transport of polar compounds."
   • Passive transporters indeed lower the activation energy required for the transport of molecules across membranes. However, they can facilitate the movement of polar compounds like ions and polar solutes through specific channels. This statement is false because passive transporters can assist in the movement of polar compounds using facilitated diffusion.
2. Option 2: "The direction in which a charged solute tends to move spontaneously across a membrane does not depend on the electrical gradient across the membrane."
   • This statement is incorrect because a charged solute's movement is significantly influenced by both the concentration gradient and the electrical gradient (together known as the electrochemical gradient). The movement is not entirely independent of the electrical component.
3. Option 3: "All ABC transporters do not have nucleotide binding domains."
   • This statement is false. ABC (ATP-Binding Cassette) transporters are characterized by the presence of nucleotide-binding domains, which are essential for ATP binding and hydrolysis to power the transport of various substrates across membranes.
4. Option 4: "P-type ATPases get reversibly phosphorylated as a part of the transport cycle."
   • This statement is correct. P-type ATPases are a category of ion pumps that actively transport ions across the membrane using ATP. A distinct feature of these ATPases is that they undergo phosphorylation and dephosphorylation during the transport cycle, which facilitates the conformational changes needed to transport the ions.

Therefore, the correct statement is that P-type ATPases undergo reversible phosphorylation as a vital component of their transport mechanism, which is highlighted in option 4.