Cell Signalling Flashcards
What are the stages of signal transduction?
- An extracellular signal molecule activates a membrane receptor
2.That in turn alters intracellular molecules to be transduced via a certain pathway - That then activates a cellular response
What is the first messenger?
The extracellular signal molecule.
What is the second messenger?
The intracellular signal molecules.
What are transducers?
In-between the first and second messenger system, membrane proteins act as transducers, converting the message of extracellular signals into intracellular messenger molecules that trigger a response.
What kind of chemicals can serve as extracellular signalling molecules (first messenger)?
Amines
Peptides & Proteins
Steroids
Other small molecules
Where are receptors located?
Cell surface receptors.
Intracellular (nuclear) receptors.
What are cell surface receptors?
*Membrane receptors for hydrophilic signalling molecules
*Activate a wide variety of intracellular “signal transduction” pathways
*FAST RESPONSE
*Co-ordinates gene regulation
What are intracellular (nuclear) receptors?
*Most receptors for hydrophobic signalling
molecules
*Act as transcription factors in
nucleus to regulate gene transcription.
*SLOW RESPONSE
What are the 4 main classes of receptors?
- Ligand-gated ion channels
- G-protein coupled receptors
- Enzyme-linked receptors
- Nuclear receptors
Which receptors are cell surface receptors?
*Ligand-gated ion channels (ionotropic receptors)
* G-protein-coupled receptors (metabotropic)
*Kinase-linked receptors.
What does ionotropic mean?
Forming an ion channel pore.
What does metabotropic mean?
Indirectly linked with ion channels on the plasma membrane through signal transduction pathways.
Which receptors are ionotropic?
*Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
*The y-amino buytyric acid (gaba)A receptor
What are nicotinic acetylcholine receptor?
Ligand gated ion channel that mediates effects of acetylcholine (ACh) on muscle.
How do nicotinic acetylcholine receptors work?
- Binding of acetylcholine opens a channel and allows Na+ entry
- Binds nicotin
- Electrical event (inward Na+ current) triggers response
- Calcium may also enter from this channel
What are the y-amino buytyric acid (gaba)A
receptor?
*Ion channel selective for Cl- ions.
*It is a inhibitory receptors.
*Important role in CNS.
What is the y-amino buytyric acid (gaba)A
receptor activated by?
- Benzodiazepines
*Alcohol
*Anaesthetics
What is an example of metabotropic receptors?
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor.
Gaba B.
What are muscarinic acetylcholine receptors?
ACh also activates Muscarinic receptor.
More sensitive to muscarine than nicotine.
What is the common structure of all G protein coupled receptors?
- Receptors that activate G proteins all have 7 transmembrane domains
- At least 800 genes encode G protein coupled receptors
- Activated by many molecules
What is the function of G protein coupled receptors?
*Play a huge role in the regulation of cell function
What are the sub-units of G-protein coupled receptors?
- G proteins consist of three polypeptide chains, a, B and Y.
- In nature there are at least 16 a subunits, 5 b and 11 y.
What is the By subunit within the G-protein coupled receptors?
The B and Y subunits bind tightly to each other effectively forms a single by subunit.
What is the structure of the a subunit within the G-protein coupled coupled receptors?
The a subunit has a guanine nucleotide binding site that binds GTP or GDP.
The a-subunit can hydrolyse GTP.
What is the affinity for BY subunit of a-GDP?
a-GDP has high affinity for by (resting conditions).
What is the affinity for BY subunit of a-GTP?
a-GTP has low affinity for by.
What are the stages of the G protein cycle?
- Unstimulated cell
- Adrenaline binding to b-adrenoceptor
- Allows b-adrenoceptor/G protein interaction
- Allows GDP / GTP exchange
- Allows a subunit liberation
- Free a subunit activates AC
- Unbinding of adrenaline/GTP hydrolysis
What is PKA?
- PKA is a tetrameric protein with two types of polypeptide
chains - Catalytic (C) and regulatory (R)
What is the structure of inactive PKA?
Subunits bound together and R subunit suppresses activity of C subunit.
What is PKA (Protein Kinase A) activated by?
cAMP.
How does cAMP activate Protein Kinase A (PKA)?
- R subunits have 2 binding sites for cAMP.
- cAMP binding allows the subunits to dissociate.
- Catalytic subunits become active phosphorylate other proteins.
- PKA catalyzes transfer of ATP to specific serine or threonine residues on substrate proteins.
What is the function of the cAMP / PKA pathway?
- The cAMP / PKA pathway is present in virtually every cell
- One of most important mechanisms that allow hormones/neurotransmitters to evoke responses in target cells
- Many proteins are phosphorylated by PKA
- Many physiological responses are mediated by cAMP / PKA
How is the signal transduction terminated?
- Removal/inactivation of signal
- Removal/inactivation of receptor
- Inactivation of activated signalling proteins
- GTP hydrolysis
- dephosphorylation
- Degradation/removal of second messengers
How do we remove the 2nd messenger form the cAMP / PKA pathway?
- cAMP is hydrolysed by phosphodiesterase (PDE)
- When hormone is removed, PDE rapidly clear cAMP from the cell
- Unbinding of cAMP from R subunit increases affinity for C subunit
- Protein reassembles into tetramer and are inactivated
What is PDE inhibited by?
- PDEs are inhibited by caffeine. Interfering with a “switch off” mechanism prolongs the time on and indeed prolongs a cellular response.
What are the stages of Desensitization of receptor?
(1) Protein phosphorylation leads to cellular response
(2) PKA phosphorylates b-ARK and increases activity
3) b-ARK phosphorylates b-adrenoceptor and reduces affinity for adrenaline
(4) Reduced affinity leads to reduced cellular response despite sustained stimulation
What is b-ARK?
b-adrenoceptor kinase.
What is dephosphorylation?
Removal of phosphate.
What effect does the alpha-s subunit have on adenylyl cyclase?
Alpha-s subunit activates AC.
What effect does the alpha-i subunit have on adenylyl cyclase?
Alpha-s subunit inhibits AC.
What kinds of adrenoceptors couple to the G-s protein?
b-adrenoceptors
Vasopressin receptor
A2A /B adenosine receptors
What kinds of adrenoceptors couple to the G-i protein?
a2 adrenoceptors
m and d opioid receptors
A1/3 adenosine receptors
What is the purpose of GTP being bound to G proteins?
- Signalling via G proteins depends upon exchange of GDP for GTP
- Active a subunit has GTP bound
- Hydrolysis of GTP leads to inactivation
What is the effect of the cholera toxin on G proteins?
- Cholera toxin (CTx) acts on as subunit and causes ADP-ribosylation
- This prevents hydrolysis of GTP
- Causes persistent activation of a subunit
- Causes over-activation of PKA-dependent Cl- channels
What effect does the pertussis toxin on the alpha-i subunits?
- In this case locks subunit into inactive configuration
- Prevents activation by receptors
- Prevents inhibitory control over AC / PKA
- Again leading to increased levels of cAMP and PKA
What can the pertussis toxin lead to?
In airway leads to symptoms of whooping cough
What do G protein contain the alpha-q11 subunit?
- Allow hormones/neurotransmitters to activate amplifier enzyme Phospholipase C (PLC)
- Underlies autonomic effects of acetylcholine
- Histamine H1 receptor responses
- Responses due to increased internal Ca2+
What kinds of autonomic effects does the alpha-q11 subunit have?
salivary secretion
bronchial smooth muscle contraction
What kinds of histamine H1 receptor responses is the alpha-q11 responsible for?
G.I. smooth muscle contraction
Allergies
What are G-q proteins responsible for?
Gq proteins stimulate phospholipase C (PLC)
Describe the stages of the phosphoinositide breakdown.
*G-q protein stimulate phospholipase C.
*PLC cleaves PIP2, into IP3 and DAG.
*IP3 travels through the cytosol to stimulate calcium release from the ER.
*DAG remains in the hydrophobic part of the membrane where is recruits Protein Kinase C (PKC).
What is PIP2?
A membrane phosphate.
What is IP3?
Inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate.
It is the soluble part of PIP2.
What is DAG?
Diacylglycerol
What happens to IP3 after it travel through the cystol?
IP3 is a second messenger that stimulates Calcium release from ER.
Describe the process of IP3 being the second messenger that stimulates calcium release from the ER.
- IP3 enters the cytoplasm
- Binds to receptors on ER
*Promotes release of stored Ca2+ - Also promotes Ca2+ influx from extracellular fluid
- Resultant increase in intracellular free Ca2+ promotes cellular responses
What happens to calcium ions after the influx?
Calmodulin, CaM, binds 4 Ca2+ ions.
What are the functions of Ca2+-CaM?
- Activates PDE (the enzyme that degrades cAMP)
- Activates CaM kinases (CaMKs)
What happens once the Ca2+-CaM complex actiavted the CaM kinase?
- CaMKs phosphorylate Serine and Threonine residues on substrate proteins
- CaMKs are involved in smooth-muscle contraction.
What are the effects of DAG?
- Remains in the plasma membrane
- Presence of DAG increases the activity of Ca2+-dependent protein kinase
- Evokes cellular responses by phosphorylating other proteins.
- PKCs can control the effects of IP3
- Mediates desensitization
- Regulates cell shape, cell proliferation and transcription factor activity
Why does DAG stay in the plasma membrane?
DAG is hydrophobic.
What is the most important thing DAG phosphorylates to get a cellular response?
Proteins kinase C (PKC).
What is the function of alpha1-adrenoceptors
- It causes vascular smooth muscle tone contraction (‘vasoconstriction’)
- Makes blood pressure to increase
Which complex do alpha1-adrenoceptors work via?
Gq-PLC-IP3-CaMK
What is the function of beta2-adrenoceptors?
- Cause relaxation of vascular smooth muscle (‘vasodilation’)
- Makes blood pressure to decrease
What complex do beta2-adrenoceptors work via?
Gs-cAMP-PKA
Which G protein are muscarinic receptors coupled with?
Gi and Gq
What activated muscarinic receptors?
ACh
What effect do 1-3-5 coupled Gq muscarinic receptors?
Slimulation
What effect do 2-4 coupled Gi muscarinic receptors?
Inhibition
What are some examples of enzyme linked receptors?
- Receptor guanylyl cyclases
- Receptor serine/threonine kinase
- Receptor tyrosine-kinase
- Tyrosine kinase-associated receptors
- Receptor tyrosine phosphatase
What is the Receptor Guanylyl Cyclase?
Contain 2 Guanylyl Cyclase domains which convert GTP to cGMP-cGMP which activates downstream kinases
What is the mechanism of signalling for the Receptor Guanylyl Cyclase?
1) Binding of ANP induces a conformational change in the receptor that causes receptor dimerization and activation.
2) The Guanylyl cyclase activity of the receptor generates cGMP.
3) Increased concentrations of cGMP activates other signalling molecules determining the response
What is an example of a response the receptor Guanylyl Cyclase?
Relax vascular smooth muscle and dilate blood vessels (vasodilation).
What is the Receptor Serine/Threonine kinases?
Contain Serine-Threonine kinase domains which phosphorylate target proteins (similar to PKA).
What is the mechanism of signalling for the Receptor Serine/Threonine kinases?
1) first messenger binds to receptor Type II
2) Receptor Type I then binds forming a ternary complex with Type II and first messenger.
3) Type II receptor phosphorylates Type I, activating the Ser-Thr Kinase activity of Type I
4) Type I then phosphorylate target proteins