1. Multicellular organisms coordination of development (from single cell to trillions of cells
2. growth
3. coordinating whole body growth and development with environment
4. day to day physiology
1. endocrine: signal that travels via blood, any range, signal molecule diffuses into blood, Signal is broadcast through the entire body. One cell with the receptors can hear the signal
2. Neuronal: neuron sends long signal, tiny diffusion component, tight connection. Signal is sent directly to the receptor
3. Paracrine: all about diffusion, once cell releases a signal that diffuses into target cells
1. singalling molecule synthesized and released by signaling cell
2. signal molecule travels to target cell
3. signal binds to receptor protein on/in target cell
4. changes in protein activity (activation inactivation), changes in gene expression
5. Changes in cell behaviour
- the same signal can cause different responses depending on the target cell
cell needs multiple signals to survive, grow and divide
1. cell surface receptors (hydrophillic signal molecule)
2. Instracellular receptors (hydrophobic signal molecule)
small hydrophobic signal molecules typically enter the cell and bind to receptors that regulate gene transcription (steroids).
- steroids receptors are members of nuclear receptor family of transcription factors
- steroids will help activate transcription of a target gene
They bind on the plasma membrane
Small non protein molcules that relay signals from receptors to target molecules within a cell
they act as molecular switches
1. each activation step in a cascade needs to be inactivated
2. activity of a protein regulated by phosphorylation depends on balance between activities of its kineses and phosphatase
3. Many proteins regulated by phosphorylation are themselves kinases phophosylation cascades,
1. ion channel linked
2. GPCRs
3. enzyme links
1, binding of ligand (signal molecule) opens (or closes) ion channel
2. flow of ions (inward or outward) changes voltage across membrane. Aka neurotransmitter - gated channels and ligand gated channels
1. G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs)
2. binding of ligand activates trimeric GTP-binding proteins ( G proteins), which in turn activate an enzyme or ion channel in membrane to set off cascade
3. about half of all knows drugs act via GPCRs
1. receptors are enzymes themselves or associated with enzymes
2. signal molecule in for of dimer activates the catalytic domain