ICPP Flashcards
What is the difference between exogenous and endogenous signalling molecules?
Exogenous = from outside the body
Endogenous = made within the body
Outline the main features of AMINE signalling molecules
Solubility, Plasma 1/2 life, Time of action, Receptor location, mechanism
Hydrophillic Plasma half life = seconds Time of action = milliseconds to seconds Receptors in the plasma membrane Mechanism = changes membrane potential + triggers synthesis of cytosolic 2nd messengers
Outline the main features of PEPTIDE and PROTEIN signalling molecules
(Solubility, Plasma 1/2 life, Time of action, Receptor location, mechanism
Hydrophillic Plasma half life = minutes Time of action = minutes to hours Receptors located on the plasma membrane Mechanism - triggers protein kinase activity + the synthesis of cytosolic 2nd messengers
Outline the main features of STEROID signalling molecules
(Solubility, Plasma 1/2 life, Time of action, Receptor location, mechanism
Lipophillic Plasma half life = hours Time of action = hours to days Receptors in they cytoplasm or nucleus Mechanism is the receptor-hormone complex controls transcription and mRNA stability
What are the three main types of signalling molecules used in the endocrine system?
Amines
Peptides (+proteins)
Steroids
What are some examples of local chemical mediators?
Cytokines (eg. Interleukins, chemokines, interferons, histamine)
Eicosanoids (eg. prostaglandins + leukotrines)
Neuropeptides
What type of signalling molecules does paracrine signalling use?
Neurotransmitters (amino acids, mono amines, peptides + ACh)
Local chemical mediators (cytokines + eicosanoids)
What are the types of signalling molecule targets?
Receptors
Ion channels
Transporters
Enzymes
What are the main types of receptor?
Kinase linked
Ion channels (ligand gated) - ionotropic
Nuclear (intracellular)
GPCRs - metabatropic
By what mechanism do kinase linked receptors work?
Phosphorylation of groups to start a signalling cascade
What neurotransmitters are taken up using cotransport of Na+?
Noradrenaline
Serotonin
Glutamate
What is an agonist?
Signalling molecule which binds to a receptor and activates it - causes a measurable response
What is an antagonist?
Signalling molecule that binds to a receptor but doesn’t activate it - blocks the actions of agonists
Outline the main features of GPCR structure
Single polypeptide chain
7 Transmembrane domains
N terminal is extracellular
C terminal is intracellular
What is a G protein?
Guanine nucleotide binding protein
Heterotrimeric - has alpha, beta and gamma subunits
How are G proteins activated?
Replacement of GDP with GTP
What happens when GTP binds to the alpha subunit of a G protein?
The beta/gamma subunit dissociates and now both can go on to interact with effector proteins
When does the activity of G protein subunits stop?
When GTP on the alpha subunit is hydrolysed back to GDP (carried out by GTPase)
Alpha subunit has a high affinity for the beta/gamma subunit so the G protein is easily reformed
What ligands bind to Beta-adrenoreceptors?
What is their effect?
What is the effector molecule?
Adrenaline and noradrenaline
Stimulatory
Adenylyl cyclase
What are the types of alpha-adrenoreceptors?
Give their effect and what their effector molecules are.
Alpha 1 = Stimulatory - phospholipase C
Alpha 2 = Inhibitory - adenylyl cyclase
What GPCRs does ACh act on?
What is its effect on these? Give the effectors the G proteins act on
M1+M3 muscarinic receptors - Stimulatory (Gq protein) - acts on phospholipase C
M2+M4 muscarinic receptors - inhibitory (Gi protein) - acts on adenylyl cyclase
How does Cholera toxin (CTx) interfere with G protein function?
Prevents termination of signalling - stops Gs proteins hydrolysing GTP to GDP by systematic modification
G proteins continue to activate adenylyl cyclase to activate cAMP
How does Pertussis toxin (PTx) interfere with G protein function?
Covalently modifies GPCRs what prefer Gi proteins so they can no longer be stimulated - uncoupling
What does phospholipase C do to PIP2?
Convert it to IP3 and DAG
What is needed to convert PIP2 to PIP3?
PI3K
How many subunits does PKA have and what do they do?
4 Subunits
2 R - regulatory, binding of cAMP to these causes them to release the C subunits
2 C - catalytic, carry out phosphorylation of target proteins
What concentration is cytoplasmic Ca2+?
1 x10-7M (100nM)
What concentration is extracellular Ca2+?
1 x10-3M (1mM)
How is cytoplasmic Ca2+ increased?
VOCCs (voltage gated calcium channels)
LGICs (ligand gated ion channels)
CICR (Calcium induced calcium release)
How is cytoplasmic Ca2+ decreased?
PMCA (plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase)
NCX (Na+/Ca2+ exchanger)
SERCA (Smooth/sarco endoplasmic reticulum ATPase)
How do VOCCs work?
Open in response to depolarisation
Once open Ca2+ will move down its concentration gradient into the cell
How do LGICs work?
Activated by the binding of an excitatory neurotransmitter
These bind and open the channel so Ca2+ can enter
How do SOCs work to increase Ca2+?
Activated by a Ca2+ sensing protein in the ER which detects low levels and so stimulates to SOC to move extracellular Ca2+ into the store
How does PMCA work?
Primary active transporter - Uses one ATP molecule per Ca2+ ion that is moved out
How does the NCX work?
Moves 3Na+ in for every Ca2+ moved out
Reverses if the cell is depolarised
Has low affinity for Ca2+ but high expression
How is Ca2+ released from the ER (using IP3)?
A suitable ligand brings to the Gq receptor on the membrane which triggers production of IP3 by membrane phospholipids
IP3 diffuses through the cytoplasm to bind with IP3 receptors on the ER - these are LGICs
The IP3R opens on binding of IP3 and allows the efflux of Ca2+ into the cytosol from the ER
How does CICR work?
Ryanodine receptors (RyR) on the ER membrane are LGICs that are activated upon binding of Ca2+ When Ca2+ binds to the RyR Ca2+ will efflux from the ER into the cytoplasm
Explain what happens in agonist stimulated regulation of phospholipase C
Activation of the Gq protein stimulates release of the alpha subunit - this binds to phospholipase C
The complex binds with PIP2 and causes its cleavage into IP3 and DAG
IP3 binds to an IP3 receptor causing it to open and let Ca2+ out of the store
DAG has its own protein kinase C - increase in DAG and Ca2+ will activate the PKC and cause it to phosphorylate it’s substrates in the cells
How is ionotropy increased using signalling pathways?
Adrenaline/noradrenaline binds to beta1-adrenoreceptors in the ventricles
These receptors then activate Gs proteins which activate adenylyl cyclase
This will increase activity of cAMP and cause activation of PKA
PKA phosphorylates a VOCC to allow Ca2+ to enter the cardiac muscle cells
By increasing Ca2+ the contraction of the heart is increased
What receptor does sympathetically released noradrenaline interact with to cause vasoconstriction?
Alpha1-adrenoreceptors
What binds with M3-muscarinic receptors to stimulate bronchoconstriction?
Parasympathetically released acetyl choline
What type of transporter do all human cells have?
Na+/K+ATPase pump
What types of molecules can pass through the membrane easily?
Hydrophobic
Small + uncharged
What information does the permeability coefficient give you?
The likelihood of substances passing across a membrane
How do voltage gated ion channels work?
They have positively charged amino acids in the centre of their structure
Upon depolarisation of the membrane these are repealed and so move up and cause a structural change in the protein - causing it to open
What sort of ΔG value does active transport have
Positive
What sort of ΔG value does passive transport have?
Negative
What is the intracellular concentration of Na+?
12mM
What is the extracellular concentration of Na+?
145mM
What is the intracellular concentration of Cl-?
4.2mM
What is the extracellular concentration of Cl-?
123mM
What is the intracellular concentration of K+?
115mM
What is the extracellular concentration of K+?
4mM
Where is ATP synthase found?
How does it make ATP?
Found in the mitochondria
When protons from the intermembrane space move back into the matrix they move through ATP synthase and it makes ATP
What is the difference between uniport and cotransport?
Uniport = movement of one molecule/ion at a time Cotransport = movement of more than one molecule/ion at a time
What are the main functions of the Na+/K+ pump?
To maintain a high intracellular K+ (moves 2K+ in for every 3Na+ out)
And maintain the concentration gradient of Na+
Drive secondary active transport
What are the two types of cotransport?
Antiport = movement of the molecules in opposite directions Symport = movement of the molecules in the same direction
What are the NCX and Na+/H+ transporter examples of?
Secondary antiport transport molecules
How does Prozac (Fluoxetine) work?
Inhibits the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) so increases the action of serotonin
What protein is affected in Cystic Fibrosis and what does it lead to?
A mutation in the CFTR protein
This leads to it not being able to pump Cl- out of the cells, and causes the water potential in the cells is lower than that in the mucus and so less water moves out of the cells and the mucus becomes thick and sticky
How does cholera affect the CFTR protein to cause diarrhoea?
It produces a toxin which activates PKA
PKA then phosphorylates CFTR and cause it to pump lots of Cl- out of the cell into the lumen of the gut, taking water with it to give watery stools
What does the Na+/H+ exchanger do?
Exchanges extracellular Na+ for intracellular H+
Regulates cell volume
Give two examples of bicarbonate transporters
NBC - alkalinises the cell by moving H+ out and HCO3- in Anion exchanger (AE1)/Band 3 - acidifies the cell by moving Cl- out and HCO3- out (present in erythrocytes)
What is the range of normal cell pH?
7.2-7.5
How many molecules of water do Na+, K+ and Cl- move with them?
Six