BCMB 405: Cell Signaling

Types of cellular regulation: endocrine, paracrine, autocrine, direct cell-to-cell communication
Primary signalling molecules: growth factors, hormones, neurotransmitters
Structure and properties of receptors: Cell surface and intracellular receptors, G-protein coupled receptors, receptor tyrosine kinases. Conserved domains, ligand recognition, binding characteristics, receptor dimerization and phosphorylation, docking sites and substrate interactions.
Guanine nucleotide binding-protein switches: Heterotrimeric and monomeric, G-protein regulators - GTPase activating proteins and guanine nucleotide exchange factors e.g. Son of sevenless, neurofibromin.
Second messenger generation: cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, inositol trisphosphate, diacylglycerol, Ca2+. Examples of major cascades: Ras-mitogen activated protein kinase pathway, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and Akt pathway, Janus kinase and Signal transducer and Activator of Transcription pathway (JAK-STAT), Nitric oxide-guanylyl cyclase signaling. Effectors, transcription factors, amplification, signal diversity, cross-talk and signal termination.