intercellular signalling Flashcards

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1
Q

Why do cells need to communicate?

A

cells need to be able to coordinate their behaviour

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2
Q

What are the types of molecules used as intercellular signals?

A
  • proteins
  • peptides
  • small chemicals
  • dissolved gases
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3
Q

What is the signalling molecule that binds to a receptor called?

A

a ligand

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4
Q

What conditions are necessary for a cell to respond to a signal?

A
  • ligand must be present
  • responding cell must have corresponding receptor
  • receptor must be correctly coupled to intracellular signalling pathway
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5
Q

What are the 3 main categories of membrane receptors?

A
  • receptors linked to ion channels
  • G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs)
  • receptors linked to enzymes
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6
Q

Which signal molecules can cross the cell membrane and bind directly to receptors inside?

A
  • dissolved gas (e.g nitric oxide)
  • hydrophobic molecules (e.g steroid hormone cortisol)
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7
Q

Where does adrenaline cause different reactions?

A
  • contraction of smooth muscle cells in blood vessels supplying the gut
  • relaxation of smooth muscle cells in blood vessels supplying skeletal muscles
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8
Q

How can adrenaline cause two different reactions?

A
  • different adrenergic receptors
  • alpha = contraction
  • beta = relaxation
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9
Q

What are the types of signals?

A
  • endocrine
  • paracrine
  • neuronal
  • autocrine
  • juxtacrine
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10
Q

Which signal is long range (meters)?

A

endocrine signals

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11
Q

Which signals are short range (micrometers)?

A
  • paracrine
  • neuronal
  • autocrine
  • juxtacrine
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12
Q

What is a cortisol and where is it released from?

A
  • steroid hormone
  • released by adrenal gland on kidneys
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13
Q

How does the stress response work?

A
  • glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activates and suppresses gene expression
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14
Q

Give examples of endocrine signalling

A
  • stress response
  • insulin/glucagon
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15
Q

How do paracrine signals work?

A

signalling molecules released from one cell and diffuse locally to neighbouring cells

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16
Q

What are some examples of PROTEIN paracrine signals?

A
  • cytokines (immune response)
  • platelet-derived growth factor (cell proliferation)
17
Q

Give an example of an amino acid derivative paracrine signal

A

histamine (local inflammation)

18
Q

Give an example of a dissolved gas paracrine signal

A

nitric oxide (relaxes smooth muscle, dilates blood vessels)

19
Q

What is nitric oxides target enzyme and where is it produced from?

A
  • guanylate cyclase
  • produced from arg when blood vessel wall endothelial cells are stimulated by acetylcholine
20
Q

Describe the process of NO as a signal?

A
  1. binds do guanylyl cyclase, makes cyclic GMP from nucleotide GTP
  2. cyclic GMP causes smooth muscle cells to relax (increases blood flow)
  3. short lived effect, cyclic GMP quickly hydrolysed to GMP by phosphodiesterase
21
Q

State a clinical use of nitric oxide?

A
  • for angina
  • administer nitroglycerin
  • converts to NO in the body by mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2)
22
Q

Describe neuronal signalling

A

neurotransmitters travel across synaptic gap to adjacent target cell

23
Q

Give examples of neurotransmitters

A
  • adrenaline
  • acetylcholine
  • serotonin
24
Q

Describe autocrine signalling

A

cells secrete signalling molecules that bind to their own receptors to make change in their own behaviour

25
Q
A
26
Q

What is juxtacrine signalling

A

immediate neighbours signal to each other via membrane bound molecules

26
Q

What are the two types of juxtacrine signalling

A
  • gap junctions
  • contact dependent receptor ligand binding
27
Q

Describe gap junctions in juxtacrine signalling

A

channels form between cells allowing diffusion of small molecules such as ions, nucleotides and sugars

28
Q

How are the gap junctions formed in juxtacrine signalling?

A
  • by channels called connexons (consists of 6 protein subunits)