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Endoplasmic reticulum and secretory pathway

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Total cards: 24•Content version: v4•Public deck•Updated: 8/1/2026

Card preview (24)

#1
Front (Question)

Define a signal peptide

Back (Answer)

A short peptide (16-30 amino acids long) present at the N-terminus of the majority of newly synthesised proteins that are destined towards the secretory pathway

#2
Front (Question)

Describe the ER as a single-membrane compartment

Back (Answer)

Continuous network of tubular and flat vesicular structures in the cytoplasm (“little net”).

#3
Front (Question)

What is inside the compartment of the ER

Back (Answer)

A space which is connected with the space between the two membrane surfaces of the nuclear membrane (Continuous with the nuclear envelope)

#4
Front (Question)

Describe the two parts of the ER and briefly their functions

Back (Answer)

Granular/Rough ER (ribosomes attached (hence rough) for the translation and folding of new proteins) Agranular/Smooth ER - Synthesis of lipids and detoxification of certain drugs and toxins by cytochrome p450 enzymes

#5
Front (Question)

What do the RER and the SER look like on an electron micrograph

Back (Answer)

RER - Long tubular lines covered with black spots on them representing the ribosomes SER - Quite smooth and flat tubular structure, with no black spots (no ribosome)

#6
Front (Question)

State the functions of the RER

Back (Answer)

Protein synthesis, glycosylation, folding and assembly and multi-protein complexes

#7
Front (Question)

State the functions of the SER

Back (Answer)

Lipid synthesis (cholesterol, phospholipids) important for cell membrane for example. Doesn’t synthesise proteins Ca2+ sequestration - Important in contraction of muscle cells Detoxification by cytochrome P450 enzymes - Catalyse reactions that make drugs lipid soluble and waste water soluble to expel from the body

#8
Front (Question)

Name some differences between the RER and SER

Back (Answer)

Ribosomes v No ribosomes Found near the nucleus v Found closer to the cell membrane Originates from nuclear membranes v Originates from rough ER by giving off the ribosomes Mainly composed of cisternae vs Mainly composed of tubules Involved in synthesis, folding and transport of proteins v Synthesis and transport of lipids Well developed in protein forming and secretory cells v Mainly present in lipid forming cells

#9
Front (Question)

What happens in the first step of SRP

Back (Answer)

Recognition of the signal peptide - Ribosome

#10
Front (Question)

What happens in the second step of SRP

Back (Answer)

When the SRP particle binds the ribosome-nascent-chain complex, for this one GTP molecule is needed to provide energy for the process.

#11
Front (Question)

What happens in the third step of SRP

Back (Answer)

Binding of the complex composed of ribosome-nascent protein + the SRP particle + GTP to the SRP receptor. Two other GTP molecules are needed.

#12
Front (Question)

What is the initial synthesised form of insulin?

Back (Answer)

Preproinsulin

#13
Front (Question)

What happens when the insulin peptide is inside the RER

Back (Answer)

The first modification occurs, where the preproinsulin is brought to proinsulin and consists of a proteolysis, where the signal sequence is removed

#14
Front (Question)

What would the second modification be

Back (Answer)

Cleavage of the proinsulin into the three different peptides, the A, B and C chains

#15
Front (Question)

What happens to the A, B and C chains in the third modification

Back (Answer)

Disulfide bonds between A and B chains, C chain is removed to form a a biologically active insulin that comprises 51 amino acids.

#16
Front (Question)

What happens in the fourth step

Back (Answer)

The insulin goes through more modifications, the additions and removals of sugar/protein molecules, glycosylation, deglycosylation

#17
Front (Question)

Where does glycosylation/deglycosylation occur

Back (Answer)

Golgi

#18
Front (Question)

Why is glycolysation/deglycosylation important

Back (Answer)

Sorting secreted proteins (E.g. lysosomal proteins to lysosomes)

#19
Front (Question)

Where does protein folding and assembly occur?

Back (Answer)

Golgi

#20
Front (Question)

What happens to proteins that fail a quality check during protein synthesis?

Back (Answer)

They will not be exported from the ER. They will be degraded by ubiquitination and the proteasome. ERAD - Endoplasmic-reticulum-associated-protein degradation

#21
Front (Question)

Describe the golgi structure

Back (Answer)

Single-membrane compartment consisting of a 4 to 8 stacked layers of thin, flat, enclosed vesicles (cisternae) lying near one side of the nucleus

#22
Front (Question)

Name and describe the 3 networks that make up the golgi

Back (Answer)

• cis (First cisternae structure, closer to nucleus) • Medial and trans compartments (Final structure closer to cell membrane)

#23
Front (Question)

How does the golgi aid in protein modification

Back (Answer)

• Glycosidases, glycosyltransferases • O-linked glycosylation • Sulfatases • Proteases

#24
Front (Question)

How does golgi aid in lipid Synthesis

Back (Answer)

SPhingomyelin Glucosylceramide