Communication between cells Flashcards
What are the basic principles of cell signalling?
Conversion of a message (signal transduction)
Target cells have receptors for signalling molecules
Most cells both generate and receive signals
What are the different categories of signal?
Endocrine
Paracrine
Neuronal
Contact-dependent
How many responses can a signal trigger?
Many
Varying responses in different cell types
What determines the response triggered?
The target cells interpretation of the signal
What are the two types of receptor?
Cell surface
Intracellular
What is an intracellular signalling pathway?
Extracellular signal binds to transmembrane receptor
Triggers an intracellular signal molecule
What is relay?
Spreading the signal through the cell
What is amplification?
Making the signal stronger so that a few extracellular signals trigger a large intracellular response
What is integrating?
Receiving more than one signalling input and generating appropriate output
What is distributing?
Passing on the signal to more than one pathway
What role do kinases play in cell signalling?
Phosphorylate serine, threonine and tyrosine residues
Alter conformation and activity
Recruitment of effector proteins
What are the categories of cell surface receptors?
Ion-channel coupled receptors
G-protein coupled receptors
Enzyme-coupled receptors
How do ion channel coupled receptors work?
Open or close in response to a signalling molecule
Changes in membrane potential
Chemical signal becomes an electrical signal
How do G-proten coupled receptors work?
Activated by proteins, peptides, amino acid derivatives and fatty acids
Binding ligand induces conformation change activating a G-protein on intracellular side of the membrane
Activated G-proteins activate enzymes or ion channels
How do enzyme-coupled receptors work?
Tyrosine kinases