biology

TOG superfamily

TOG superfamily 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 TOG superfamily rather than just read about it. In short: The transporter-opsin-G protein-coupled receptor (TOG) superfamily is a protein superfamily of integral membrane proteins, usually of 7 or 8 transmembrane alpha-helical segments (TMSs). It includes (1) ion-translocating microbial rhodopsins, (2) G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), (3) sweet sugar transporters, (4) nicotinamide ribonucleoside uptake permeases (PnuCs; TC# 4.B.1), (5) 4-toluene sulfonate uptake permea…

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

The transporter-opsin-G protein-coupled receptor (TOG) superfamily is a protein superfamily of integral membrane proteins, usually of 7 or 8 transmembrane alpha-helical segments (TMSs). It includes (1) ion-translocating microbial rhodopsins, (2) G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), (3) sweet sugar transporters, (4) nicotinamide ribonucleoside uptake permeases (PnuCs; TC# 4.B.1), (5) 4-toluene sulfonate uptake permeases (TSUPs; TC# 2.A.102), (6) Ni2+–Co2+ transporters; (NiCoTs; TC# 2.A.52), (7) organic solute transporters (OSTs; TC# 2.A.82), (8) phosphate:Na+ symporters (PNaS; TC# 2.A.58), and (9) lysosomal cystine transporters (LCTs; TC# 2.A.43).

Families Currently recognized families within the TOG Superfamily (with TC numbers in blue) include:

1.A.14 - The Testis-enhanced Gene Transfer (TEGT) Family 1.A.26 - The Mg2+ Transporter-E (MgtE) Family 1.A.76 - The Magnesium Transporter1 (MagT1) Family 2.A.43 - The Lysosomal Cystine Transporter (LCT) Family 2.A.52 - The Ni2+-Co2+ Transporter (NiCoT) Family 2.A.58 - The Phosphate:Na+ Symporter (PNaS) Family 2.A.82 - The Organic Solute Transporter (OST) Family 2.A.102 - The 4-Toluene Sulfonate Uptake Permease (TSUP) Family 2.A.123 - The Sweet; PQ-loop; Saliva; MtN3 (Sweet) Family 3.E.1 - The Ion-translocating Microbial Rhodopsin (MR) Family 4.B.1 - The Nicotinamide Ribonucleoside (NR) Uptake Permease (PnuC) Family 9.A.14 - The G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) Family

Structures A couple of the 3-D structures available for members of the following families include:

SWEET family: 4RNG MR family: 5AX0, 3T45 - high resolution structures PnuC family: 4QTN GPCR family: 3CAP

See also Solute carrier family Transporter Classification Database

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TOG superfamily

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TOG superfamily 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 TOG superfamily 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 TOG superfamily 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 TOG superfamily

In research: TOG superfamily 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 TOG superfamily 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: TOG superfamily is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Protein superfamilies, Transmembrane transporters, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TOG superfamily 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 TOG superfamily in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TOG superfamily 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 TOG superfamily out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TOG superfamily in simple terms?

Why does TOG superfamily 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 TOG superfamily?

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 TOG superfamily.