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Even the simplest organisms can detect and respond to events in their ever-changing environment. Similarly, within a multicellular organism, cells are surrounded by an extracellular environment from which signals are received and responded to. Extracellular events are decoded and transmitted to relevant parts of individual cells by way of a series of activation/deactivation steps involving many intracellular molecules. This relay of information along molecular pathways is called signal transduction; it is sometimes also simply referred to as ‘signalling’.
The molecular models shown in this chapter were produced using the Brookhaven protein data base (pdb) files indicated in the figure legends. These files can be downloaded, viewed and manipulated using a suitable molecular viewing programme, such as Viewerlite tm.
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- define and use each of the terms printed in bold in the text
- understand the basic principles of signal transduction mechanisms, in particular the concepts of response specificity, signal amplitude and duration, signal integration and intracellular location
- give examples of different types of extracellular signals and receptors, and explain their functional significance
- describe the mechanisms by which different receptors may be activated by their respective ligands
- describe and give examples of the structure and properties of the major components of signal transduction pathways.
Course Curriculum
1. General principles of signal transduction | |||
Cell Signalling – Introduction | 00:35:00 | ||
Extracellular Signals Can Act Locally or At A Distance | FREE | 00:45:00 | |
Most Receptors Are on the Cell Surface | FREE | 00:15:00 | |
Cellular Responses Are Diverse | 00:10:00 | ||
Signal Transduction Mechanisms | 00:45:00 | ||
Signalling Proteins Can Act as Molecular Switches | 01:30:00 | ||
Localization of Signalling Proteins | 01:00:00 | ||
Protein–protein interactions in signal transduction | FREE | 01:00:00 | |
Summary – Signal Transduction | 00:45:00 | ||
2. Receptors and their ligands | |||
Receptor Specificity | 00:40:00 | ||
Ion-channel receptors | 00:45:00 | ||
Seven-helix transmembrane (7TM) receptors | 00:40:00 | ||
Receptors with Intrinsic Enzymatic Activity | FREE | 00:40:00 | |
Recruiter Receptors | 00:30:00 | ||
Receptor inactivation | 00:30:00 | ||
Intracellular Receptors | 00:25:00 | ||
Summary – Receptors | 00:35:00 | ||
3. Intracellular signalling components | |||
Trimeric G proteins | 01:00:00 | ||
Lipid-modifying Enzymes | 00:40:00 | ||
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) | 00:30:00 | ||
Phospholipase C (PLC) | FREE | 00:45:00 | |
Calcium ions | 00:45:00 | ||
Cyclic AMP | 00:45:00 | ||
Monomeric G proteins | 00:45:00 | ||
Protein kinases | 00:30:00 | ||
The MAP kinase pathway | 00:30:00 | ||
00:00 | |||
Protein phosphatases | 00:40:00 | ||
Activation of transcription factors | 00:40:00 | ||
Summary – Intracellular signalling components | 00:40:00 | ||
4. Glucose metabolism: an example of integration of signalling pathways | |||
Glucose metabolism | 01:30:00 | ||
Summary – Glucose metabolism | 00:30:00 | ||
Acknowledgements – Cell Signalling | 00:15:00 |