Question

What are ABC transporters and how do they work?

Answer 1

ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) are essential membrane proteins. They are involved in uptake and expulsion of different types of substrates, which include ions and small molecules such as sugars, amino acids, vitamins and large molecules such as peptides, proteins and polysaccharides. They consist of multiple subunits, which are transmembrane proteins and membrane-associated ATPases. The ATPase subunits utilize the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to energize the translocation of different types of substrates across membranes.

They utilize the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to transport of substrates across cellular membranes. The membrane-spanning area of these transporters protect hydrophilic substrates from the lipids of the membrane bilayer and provide a pathway across the cell membrane. Substrates are transported, which include ions, amino acids, peptides, sugars and other molecules. And these are mostly hydrophilic.