All forms of life require Mg2+. Two of the proteins used by bacteria to import Mg2+ from the environment are CorA and Mg
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All forms of life require Mg2+. Two of the proteins used by bacteria to import Mg2+ from the environment are CorA and Mg
All forms of life require Mg2+. Two of the proteins used by bacteria to import Mg2+ from the environment are CorA and MgtA. As we've already established, CorA is a uniport and does not hydrolyze ATP (or perform a similar chemical process), while MgtA is a P-type ATPase (like the SERCA pump). When the environmental concentration of Mg2+ drops below 50 uM, CorA is shut off and MgtA is turned on (MgtA is not on when the environmental concentration of Mg2+ is above 50 uM). Explain why this situation is biologically advantageous. Why is CorA off when [Mg2+] is low and on when it is high? Why is MgtA on when [Mg2+] is low and off when it is high? What would happen if these were reversed?