Cell Communication Flashcards
define signal transduction
cell to cell communication
in general how does signal transduction work?
- extracell signal binds to receptor protein on memb.
- binding causes an intracell signal to be released
- intracell signal activates effector proteins
- effector proteins cause the outcome
what are 3 outcomes of effector proteins?
- altered metabolism
- altered gene expression
- altered cell shape or mvt
more specific signal transduction definition
extracellular signaling molecules bind to specific receptors in target cells to initiate a chain of events
external signals induce 2 major types of responses
- fast response
2. slow response
fast response
change in activity or function of enzymes or proteins in cell
slow response
change in amounts of proteins by change in gene expression
signal transduction process
- ligand
- high affinity receptors
- intracell signal proteins
- effector proteins
- outcome
list the types of signaling
- endocrine
- paracrine
- synaptic
- autocrine
- direct cell
long distance signaling
endocrine signaling
endocrine signaling
long distance, long half-life
signal enters blood stream and travels to reach it’s target
local signaling
paracrine signaling
or
synaptic signaling
paracrine signaling
local, not freely diffusible
affects the nearby cells
synaptic signaling
acts locally
affects nearby axons/dendrites using neurotransmitters
signals to the cells that released the signal
autocrine signaling
autocrine signaling
cell releases a signal to affect itself and/or cells of same type nearby
ex. growth factors
immune cell signaling
direct cell signaling
ex. Ag presenting to T cells
each cell interprets all the signals it gets to determine what to do…..
survive
die
divide
differentiate
signals
or ligands
typically secreted via exocytosis
signal types decides where signal goes
receptors
bind specifically to signal molecules w/ high affinity
because signals are produced in low levels
effectors
the targets of receptors intracell
alter cell activity to create 2nd messengers
main types of ligands
- small lipophilic - hormones
2. water soluble molecules or hydrophilic
general types of receptors
- cell surface receptors
2. intracellular receptors
describe intracellular receptors
steroid receptors - can be present in cytosol since the signal can easily pass thru the bilayer
7 transmembrane receptors
or G-protein coupled receptors
describe the structure of G-protein coupled receptors
have 3 domains
- extracell - binds ligands
- transmemb. - anchors
- cytoplasmic domain - associates w/ G protein
G-proteins
heterotrimeric proteins composed of 3 subunits (a b g)
GTP or GDP
describe the steps of G-protein relaying signals
- ligand binds receptor
- conformational change occurs in receptor
- receptor binds to G
- receptor acts as GEF
- GDP exchanged for GTP
- Ga is now active an binds to effector to activate it
adenylyl cyclase
an effector protein that catalyzes formation of cAMP
which is the 2nd messenger that can cause a biological response
reset of G-protein system
hydrolysis of GTP bound to Ga occurs
Ga inactivated and recycled/sent back to starting point
what is the significance of a G-protein coupled receptor acting as a GEF?
guanine exchange factor
it exchanges the GDP for a GTP which causes Ga to become activated
it exchanges, not phosphorylating
Gas
stimulating Ga type
stims adenylyl cyclase
Gai
inhibiting Ga type
inhibits adenylyl cyclase
cAMP
a 2nd messenger
activates a protein kinase called PKA
PKA
a protein kinase activated by cAMP
can phosphorylate proteins to either activate or inactivate them
PKA structure
inactive form - has 4 subunits
2 catalytic, 2 regulatory
active form - the 2 catalytic units released as separate entities
binding of cAMP to PKA
2 cAMP binds to each regulatory subunit (so 4 total)
causes the 2 catalytic units to be released from the regulatory units
how does phosphorylation change a proteins function?
it changes the shape of the protein
and protein shape determines it’s function
what is meant by amplification of signaling?
a single ligand receptor event can activate multiple effector protein to generate hundreds of 2nd messengers which effect 1000’s of proteins
what is desensitization of a signal?
ability to turn off or reject the signal
important for preventing cancer cell growth