Christine Flashcards
Molecular signalling
The transmission of information, often from the external surface of a cell to the nucleus
Determines the biological output after the activation/engagement of receptors
How do cells signal?
Activation of intracellular proteins
Activation of second messengers
Protein-protein interactions
Enzymatic cascades
Mechanisms of signal transmittance
Conformational coupling (pre-formed complex) e.g. channels, receptors
Conformational coupling (diffusion-dependent complex formation) e.g. cAMP, cGMP, Ca, proteins
Post-translational modifications e.g. phosphorylation, acetylation, oxidation
Protein degradation e.g. ubiquitin-proteasome, proteases
How are signals measured?
Enzyme activity
Changes in gene expression
Fluorescent probe e.g. Ca mobilisation, phosphoinositides
Measure phosphorylated substances (Ab-based methods) e.g. immunoblotting, ELISA, flow cytometry
Key features of molecular signalling
Specificity (of response)
Coordination (of signals)
Location (within the cell)
Regulation (signal must be down-regulated)
Protein interaction domains
Sequence- and structural-specific regions within proteins that enable them to bind to/interact with other cellular molecules
SH2
Src homology 2 domain
Binds to phosphotyrosine residues via a ‘positively-charged pocket’
100 AA
Present in a diverse range of cytosolic proteins
High “off” rate - interactions are dynamic, rapid on/off
Has an extended surface that binds to residues at the C-terminal of the phosphotyrosine - variability in the AA sequence of this determines specificity
e.g. Src SH2 binds to pYEEI, Grb2 SH2 binds to pYVNV
PTB
Phosphotyrosine binding domain
Present in scaffolding proteins e.g. Shc, IRS, FRS2
Originally thought to bind NPXpY units, but Shc PTB can also bind to PIP2 and FRS2 PTB can bind to a non-phosphorylated FGFR ligand
14-3-3
Binds to phosphoserine
Dimer
Important in the regulation of DNA repair and apoptosis (can bind to Bad)
WD40
Involved in ubiquitination/degradation pathways and G1 to S phase transition
FHA
Forkhead-associated domain
Binds to phosphothreonine (pTXXD motif)
Important in DNA repair and protein trafficking
SH3
Src homology 3 domain Binds to proline-rich motifs e.g. XPnXP, where is a hydrophobic AA) 50 AA 3 pocket structure Constitutive binding
WW
Binds to proline-rich motifs
EVHI
Binds to proline-rich motifs
PH
Pleckstrin homology domain
Binds to phospholipids/phosphoinositides e.g. PIP2, PIP3
“Protein-lipid interaction”
120 AA
Present in scaffolding proteins e.g. Gab, PKB, PDK1, kinases
Enables specific recruitment to the membrane
3 variable loops, positively charged surface
PDZ
Primarily involved in anchoring receptor proteins to the cytoplasm - plays a role in localising cellular elements
Binds to the C-terminals of target proteins via a specific motif
FYVE
Bind to PIP3
Regulate membrane traffic in endosomes
PX
Bind to phosphoinositides and SH3 domains
Diverse function
FRET
Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
A mechanism describing the energy transfer between 2 light sensitive molecules
A donor fluorophore (in its electronically excited state) may transfer energy to an acceptor fluorophore through non-radiative dipole-dipole coupling
The efficiency of this energy transfer is inversely proportional to the 6th power of the distance between the fluorophores
Measurement of FRET efficiency can be used to determine if 2 fluorophores are within a certain distance of one another
Roles of protein phosphorylation
Control enzyme activity e.g. by changing enzyme conformation
Regulate interactions between proteins
Control protein localisation within the cell
Initiation, regulation and coordination of signalling pathways
JAK1 knockout
Perinatal lethality caused by impaired lymphopoiesis
JAK2 knockout
Embryonically lethal (no erythropoiesis)
JAK3 knockout
SCID (same as no common gamma chain)
STAT1 in cancer
Involved in IFNy response to infection
Tumour suppressor
STAT1 KO = no immune response, no apoptosis
STAT3 in cancer
Required for the self-renewal of ESCs (recruited by LIF binding). KO = embryonically lethal
Constitutively active in many tumours
STAT5 in cancer
Regulates apoptosis, promotes proliferation and cell cycle progression
Mediator of BCR-Abl signalling - higher STAT5 levels seen in CML cells
Constitutively phosphorylated/active in cancer cells