biology

MatC family

MatC family is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MatC family rather than just read about it. In short: The Malonate Uptake (MatC) family (TC# 2.A.101) is a constituent of the ion transporter (IT) superfamily. It consists of proteins from Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (e.g., Xanthomonas, Rhizobium and Streptomyces species), simple eukaryotes (e.g., Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) and archaea (e.g., Methanococcus jannaschii).

Key takeaways

MatC family belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MatC family to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MatC family from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Malonate Uptake (MatC) family (TC# 2.A.101) is a constituent of the ion transporter (IT) superfamily. It consists of proteins from Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (e.g., Xanthomonas, Rhizobium and Streptomyces species), simple eukaryotes (e.g., Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) and archaea (e.g., Methanococcus jannaschii). The proteins are of about 450 amino acyl residues in length with 12-14 putative transmembrane segments (TMSs). Closest functionally-characterized homologues are in the DASS (TC #2.A.47) family. One member of this family is a putative malonate transporter (MatC of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv trifolii, TC# 2.A.101.1.2).

See also "fkbF - FkbF - Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. ascomyceticus - fkbF gene & protein".www.uniprot.org. Retrieved 2016-03-03. "matC - Malonate carrier protein - Rhizobium leguminosarum - matC gene & protein". www.uniprot.org. Retrieved 2016-03-03.

Further reading Chen, Wei Ning; Tan, Kee Yang (2013). "Malonate uptake and metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 171 (1): 44–62. doi:10.1007/s12010-013-0334-8. PMID 23813405. S2CID 21408607. Schaffitzel, Christiane; Berg, Michael; Dimroth, Peter; Pos, Klaas M (1998). "Identification of an Na+-Dependent Malonate Transporter of Malonomonas rubra and Its Dependence on Two Separate Genes". Journal of Bacteriology. 180 (10): 2689–2693. doi:10.1128/JB.180.10.2689-2693.1998. PMC 107221. PMID 9573154.

References

As of 14 March 2016, this article is derived in whole or in part from Transporter Classification Database. The copyright holder has licensed the content in a manner that permits reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 and GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed. The original text was at "2.A.101 The Malonate Uptake (MatC) Family"

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MatC family

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MatC family claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MatC family before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MatC family ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MatC family

In research: MatC family appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MatC family in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MatC family is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Integral membrane proteins, Membrane protein stubs, Membrane proteins, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MatC family outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MatC family in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MatC family means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MatC family out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MatC family in simple terms?

Why does MatC family matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MatC family?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MatC family.