WANI Dictionary

Carrier protein

Carrier proteins are a group of transporters (membrane transport proteins). They are also called carriers or permeases, and sometimes the term "transporter" refers specifically to carrier proteins.

Carrier proteins facilitate the transport of a specific molecule through the biological membrane by changing their conformation. In contrast, channels (channel proteins), another major group of transporters, form a pore in the biological membrane, allowing specific molecules to pass through the membrane.

Definitions in the literature

• Carrier proteins (also called carriers, permeases, or transporters) bind the specific solute to be transported and undergo a series of conformational changes to transfer the bound solute across the membrane [1].