antiporter

(noun)

A cell protein that acts within an antiport to transport different molecules or ions across the membrane in opposite directions

Related Terms

Examples of antiporter in the following topics:

  • Sodium Pumps as an Alternative to Proton Pumps

    • Na+/K+-ATPase (Sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase, also known as Na+/K+ pump, sodium-potassium pump, or sodium pump) is an antiporter enzyme (EC 3.6.3.9) (an electrogenic transmembrane ATPase) located in the plasma membrane of all animal cells.
    • While certain Na+-dependent functions, like Na+-dependent uptake of melibiose, proline, and glutamate, have been observed in many bacteria, the ion gradients that served as energy sources for these transports have been generated by primary H+ pumps and converted to Na+ gradients by Na+/H+ antiporters.