Microbiology 16: (Tanaka) cell signalling framework and nuclear receptors

Question 1

Examples of cell signalling

Answer 1

Cell proliferation and differentiation

• embryonic development
• hematopoietic stem cell renewal/differentiation
• differentiation into specialised organs from stemm cells
• tumorigenesis

Neural cell signalling
- Sensing sound, light, heat or physical stimulation

Fertilisation
- Egg and sperm

Question 2

What essentially are nuclear receptors?

Answer 2

Ligand-activated transcription factors

Question 3

What are glucocorticoids?

Answer 3

Class of corticosteroids (steroid hormones)

Most effective anti-inflammatory treatment for allergic diseases

Discovered in 1940

Question 4

Premise of ion-exchange chromatography - example of a medium?

Answer 4

Process that separates ions and polar molecules based on their affinity to the ion exchanger. It works on almost any kind of charged molecule

If positive channel, negative molecules bound and vice versa

medium e.g. DEAE-cellulose

Question 5

Once cDNA is obtained, what kind of analysis become available to a scientist?

Answer 5

Produce recombinant proteins and conduct DNA binding assays

Produce GFP tagged produce and observe intracellular localisation

Introduce various point mutations to examine importance of each amino-acid in each functional property

Generates chimeric receptors to explore contribution of each domain

Produce recombinant proteins to conduct structural analysis