Equilibrium Insulin resistance occurs when cells no longer bind insulin in a nor
ID: 540143 • Letter: E
Question
Equilibrium
Insulin resistance occurs when cells no longer bind insulin in a normal manner, thus inhibiting the cells from transporting glucose inside the cell. Without intercellular glucose the cells cannot produce energy to support life.
Let’s suppose part of your project requires you to study the equilibrium reaction between the new variation of insulin you synthesized and cell receptors on the walls of cells. This is the equilibrium expression you propose.
cell receptor + free insulin ßà cell receptor-insulin complex
or in abbreviated terms
R + I ßà R-I
You devise a method of measuring the free insulin in solution. You run two experiments under the same conditions, except one experiment uses your modified insulin and the other experiment uses normal insulin. Table 1 below provides the initial conditions of your experiment and Table 2 provides the data you collected after equilibrium was established.
Initial Conditions for both experiments – all environmental conditions are kept constant (e.g. temperature at 34oC, pressure at 1 atm, pH at 7.4). A single stock nutrient and cell receptor solution was prepared with a concentration of 70 uM. 50 mL the solution was used in all experiments. The insulins were added as powders, so the volumes essentially remained unchanged.
Table 1: Initial Experimental Conditions
Experiment 1
Experiment Control
[free modified insulin] = 100.0 uM
[free normal insulin] = 100.0 uM
[cell receptor] = 70.0 uM
[cell receptor] = 70.0 uM
Table 2: Unbound Free Modified Insulin and Unbound Free Normal Insulin Levels at Equilibrium
Experiment 1
Experimental Control
[free modified insulin] = 35.0 uM
[free normal insulin] = 50.0 uM
[free modified insulin]
[receptor]
[Insulin-receptor]
I
100
70
0
C
65
65
65
E
35
50
65
[free normal insulin]
[receptor]
[Insulin-receptor]
I
100
70
0
C
50
50
50
E
50
20
50
A.Using the chemical equation from Question 3 write the mathematical relationship between the rate of disappearance of free insulin and the rate of appearance of the insulin-receptor complex.
Show your work please!
Experiment 1
Experiment Control
[free modified insulin] = 100.0 uM
[free normal insulin] = 100.0 uM
[cell receptor] = 70.0 uM
[cell receptor] = 70.0 uM
Explanation / Answer
I have already answered for A and B part of this question. Now
C. Since the modified insulin has lower value of equilibrium expression, this will bind more strongly as lower value of equilibrium indicates high affinity.
D. Since the concentration of receptors are decreased to 50 microM, the availibility of receptors will not be enough so only 50 microM of modified insulin will bind and thus the the concentration of free modified insulin at wquilibrium will be 50 microM.
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