Chapter 11 - Cannabis

Question 1

Endocannabinoid System

Answer 1

A homeostatic regulator of neurotransmitter activity:

1. Cannabinoid receptors
2. Endogenous cannabinoids
3. Enzymes that make up and destroy the cannabinoids

Question 2

Cellular Communication and Signal Transduction

Answer 2

At the heart of controlling enzyme activity and gene expression

Question 3

3 types of cellular communication

Answer 3

1. Long Distance
2. Local Communication: Paracrine and Synaptic
3. Local Communication: Cell-cell Recognition

Question 4

Long Distance Communication

Answer 4

• Hormone Signaling*
• in both cases, one cell releases a signal that is detected in the vicinity.
• many cells are exposed to hormones but only those with specific receptors respond

Question 5

Local Communication

Answer 5

• Paracrine and Synaptic Communication*
  1. Paracrine: Involves receiver cell and signalling cell and a signalling cell
  2. Synaptic: Involves neuron, neurotransmitter and reciever cell.

Question 6

Local Communication pt.2

Answer 6

• Cell-Cell Communication*
  1. Cells recognize and communicate to adjacent cells by interacting with cell surface points
  2. Signal surface protein + receptor surface protein

Question 7

3 Phases of Signal Transduction

Answer 7

1. Reception
2. Transduction
3. Response

Question 8

1. Reception

Answer 8

• involve receptor proteins that are able to bind specific signalling molecules/proteins leading to a change in activity of the receptor.
• usually located on the plasma membrane (signal doesn’t have to cross it however)
• binds extracellular signal, initiates an intracellular activity

Question 9

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases important diagrams

Answer 9

• controls cell growth, cell division and cell differentiation during cell growth
• enzymes that bind extracellular (outside the cell); Tyrosine Kinases (adds phosphate to proteins)

Question 10

G-Protein Coupled Receptors

Answer 10

• activates G-proteins when they bind to a signal

- activates g-protein by encouraging GTP binding in a G protein

Question 11

In relation to diagram

Answer 11

*Re-write this whole slide with drawings of the diagram

Question 12

Endocannabinoids are:

Answer 12

Lipophilic! They’ll go in lipid access channels in the membrane, ultimately triggering a reaction

Question 13

Cannabis

Answer 13

• Main active ingredients are THC and CBD
• THC binds with high affinity to CBI: causes a psychoactive component.
• THC is a classic neuromodulatory compound, whereas CBD does not produce “high”

Question 14

ON/OFF for a G-Protein

Answer 14

On: Binding GTP
Off: Hydrolyzing

Question 15

2. Transduction

Answer 15

Transduces the signalling information from the receptor, ultimately leading to a response.

1. Phosphorylation Cascades
2. Second Messengers

Question 16

Phosphorylation Cascades

Answer 16

• Phosphorylation relay between different kinases
• Important in controlling cell division
• A way of coordinating cell activities called signal divergence (different kinases in cascades)
• DIAGRAMS*

Question 17

Second Messengers

Answer 17

• Small, soluble molecules
• Transmit the signal of rapid diffusion through the cytoplasm.
• Cyclic AMP (cAMP)
• Rapidly diffuse throughout the cell
• Reach multiple parts of the cell very rapidly
• OFF mechanism for second messengers is phosphodiesterase
• Adenyl Cycle ATP
• Protein Kinase A (PKA)

Question 18

Adenyl Cycle ATP

Answer 18

cAMP: Active messenger, cAMP binding proteins

Question 19

PKA

Answer 19

cAMP binding protein, active in the presence of cAMP. The active state results in a cell response (gene expression, cell shape, metabolism)

Question 20

3. Response

Answer 20

Predominantly alliterates gene expression.

• There are changes in:
  1. metabolism
  2. cytoskeleton
  3. cell growth/division
  4. gene expression