McCumbee - Cell Signaling Flashcards
Intracellular Receptors
Receptor proteins located inside the cell
Cell Surface Receptors
Integral component of the plasma membrane
Signal Transduction Pathways
When a signaling molecule binds to its receptor, the receptor undergoes a conformational change that enables it to transmit a signal
These can be activated or inhibited for regulation of functions in target cell
How is the cellular response integrated to different stimulatory/inhibitory signals?
Signal transduction pathways for complex network through with certain components in one pathway are able to stimulate or inhibit the activity of components of other pathways
Direct Cell-to-Cell Signaling
Involves a signaling molecule expressed on the surface of one cell and a receptor localized on surface of adjacent cell
Endocrine Signaling
Signaling molecules = hormones
These released from secretory cells into the blood and carried to distant target tissues
Paracrine Signaling
Signaling molecules exert their effects locally on neighboring cells
Reach via interstitial fluid
Neurotransmitters
Neural communication is a form of paracrine signaling in which neurotransmitters are released at synaptic junction
Autocrine Signaling
Signaling molecules bind to receptors in or on the cells that release them
Gap Junctions
Role in cell signaling; small intracellular chemical mediators are able to pass through gap junctions, signaling information can be shared by neighboring cells
Functions of Receptors
- Recognize and bind specific ligands (hormones, neurotransmitters, drugs, etc)
- Elicit a response by the target cell when receptor is occupied by activating one or more intracellular signal transduction pathway
What lessens the probability that a given receptor will be activated by a variety of different compounds?
Receptors are highly specific
Receptor binds a specific ligand or a few structurally related molecules
What is the term which means a receptor can bind the ligand at very low concentrations?
The receptor has high affinity
What type of interactions usually occur between receptors and ligands?
What does this result in?
Non-covalent
Reversible Reactions
What is the result of there being a finite number of receptors in a target tissue?
Receptor binding is a saturable process
What allows ligands/receptors to form non-covalent interactions?
Complementary shapes, charges, hydrophobicity, or other physical properties of molecules.
- Ionic Bonds
- Hydrogen Bonds
- van der Waals
- Hydrophobic effects
What term is a quantitative measure of the affinity of a receptor for a specific ligand?
Kd
What number is the total number of receptor binding sites?
Bmax
What can binding studies help determine?
Total number of binding sites (Bmax)
Affinity of the receptor (Kd)
What is the mathematical representation of Ka?
Ka = [L*R] / [L][R] = Kf/Kr
Can receptor, [R], be measured direction?
No, use binding studies to measure the other values
How is [R] calculated experimentally?
Bmax - [L*R]
What is the reciprocal of Ka ?
Kd
What is the shape of the plot of many protein and peptide ligands?
Curvilinear, due to negative cooperativity
What is the concentration of ligand at with 1/2 of the receptors are occupied?
Kd
What is the response of a target tissue to a ligand proportional to?
What does this result in in terms of regulation?
Formation of [L*R]
Anything that affects [L], Bmax, and Kd will modulate the response of a target cell to a specific signaling molecule
What are three methods to modulate the response of a target cell to a specific signaling molecule?
- Changes in the concentration of signaling molecule [L]
- Changes in Bmax (up/down regulation)
- Changes in Kd (covalent modification, loss of function mutations)
Do all tissues have similar signaling pathways?
Example?
No, different tissues have different distributions and different signaling pathways
Example is adrenergic receptors in different tissues in the Fight or Flight reponse
How can specific receptor types for a given ligand be detected?
Using highly specific pharmacological agonists
Nicotinic Receptors location?
Skeletal muscles
Parasympathetic nervous system receptors?
Muscarinic receptors
Which two Kd values will have a higher affinity?
Lower number