GPCRs Flashcards
What are the 4 types of cell signalling?
Paracrine signalling
Autocrine signalling
Endocrine signalling
Direct Contact
What are autocrine signals?
Hormones produced by a cell that will act on itself
Paracrine signals
produced by a cell and target nearby cells
Endocrine cells
go to target cells that are further away
Give examples of common endocrine signalling
- hormones secreted into bloodstream
- cytokines released at injury site
What properties can ligands (signalling molecules) possess?
Hydrophobicity (repel water)
Hydrophilicity (stays in water)
How are hydrophobic signalling molecules brought into cell?
They are brought into target cell via carrier proteins as they cannot freely float in Extracellular space
What happens to hydrophobic signalling molecules when they a re inside the cell?
they can diffuse across CSM and bind receptor proteins in target cell (either nucleus or cytoplasm)
How do hydrophilic signalling molecules act once inside the cell?
- they are hydrophilic - can float freely in extracellular space
- however, they are unable to cross CSM - therefore they must bind to receptors called transmembrane receptors
Describe the structure of transmembrane proteins?
extracellular end: binds to ligand
intracellular end: triggers signalling pathway inside the cell once ligand is bound
What are the three stages of cell signalling?
- reception - receptors bind to the ligand
- transduction - receptor protein undergoes conformational change to activate 2nd messenger (intracellular molecule)
- cell response - cell’s response to signal
What are the main classes of receptors?
1) GPCRs
2) enzyme coupled receptors
3) ion channel receptors
What are GPCRs?
7-pass transmembrane receptors which are coupled with intracellular end called guanine-binding nucleotide protein (G-protein)
Describe the structure of G proteins?
- α, β, γ subunits
- α and γ subunits are anchored to CSM
- they keep the G protein right next to the receptor
- when G protein is inactive it is bound to GDP - 3 subunits stay together
- when G protein is active it is bound to GTP
What happens when the G protein activates?
- A signalling molecular binds to GPCR
- GDP dissociates from α-subunit
- GTP binds to α-subunit instead
- the α-subunit and GTP dissociate from β and β, γ subunits (still bound to GPCR)
- α-subunit is free to inhibit and stimulate other proteins inside the cell
- α-subunit turns GTP into GDP
- 3 subunits associate again
- G protein switches off