Lect. 10

Cell communication
Cell Biology
Lecture # 10
Objectives
By the end of this lecture you should be
familiar with:
Components of signaling
Types of signals
Types of signal receptors
Cell communication
Multicellular organisms need to communicate
with each other in order to govern their
behavior for the good of the organism.
Cells tend to signal each other via the release

of extracellular stimulus.
Cells respond to these stimuli in a cell-

specific ways by expressing specific sets of
molecules.
Components of signaling
Signal: the thing being sent
Receptor: way to sense signal
Intracellular signaling molecules: integration,

regulation, and transport of signal.
Target molecules: the things that mediate the

cellular response.
The basics of signal transduction
Signal is received
Signal is amplified
Response is usually a
change in protein levels
or associations
Specificity possible at all
levels
Feedback possible
Types of communication
1.Contact dependant
Signaling depends on
direct membrane-to
membrane interaction
and is important for
development and
immune responses.
Example: contact-
dependent signaling in
neuronal cell fate
2. Paracrine signaling involves the
secretion of signaling molecules into the
extra cellular space, which acts locally on
neighboring cells of different cell types.
3. Autocrine signaling is
similar to paracrine signaling
except that the signal is taken
up by cells of the same type
as and including the cell that
secretes the signal.
This type of signaling often
encourages groups of cells
to respond in the same way
to signals.
4. Endocrine signaling involves the
secretion of hormones into the blood stream.
This method of signaling is slow due to its
dependence on blood flow and diffusion.
5. Synaptic signaling is used by neurons
and is fast, specific and can act over long
distances.
Cells respond to a variety of inputs
Most cells are bathed in a
sea of different signals.
The manner in which each

cell responds is dictated
by what types of
receptors it expresses.
The different types of

receptors help segregate
the signal from the
noise for that particular
cell type.
A signaling molecule may induce
different responses in different cell
types
Types of signals
Cells can detect both chemical and physical
signals.
Chemical signals include: Proteins, peptides,

amino acids, nucleotides, steroids, fatty acids,
dissolved gasses (NO)
Physical signals include; Stretch and photons,

and generally converted to chemical signals at
the level of the receptor.
Extracellular signaling molecules
fall into 2 classes:
1. Molecules that are small
enough or hydrophobic
and pass through the
membrane - directly
activate intracellular
enzymes or bind cytosolic
receptors
2. Molecules that are too

large or too hydrophilic
to cross the plasma
membrane - rely on
membrane receptors
Example of intracellular receptors
Steroid hormones
are structurally
similar to
cholesterol
Hydrophobic
Cell surface receptors fall into 3
main classes
Ion channel-linked receptors
G-protein-linked receptors (GPCRs,

a/k/a 7-pass membrane receptors,
serpentine receptors)
Enzyme-linked receptors
1. Ion-channel-linked receptors
Are involved in the rapid synaptic signaling
between electrically excitable cells.
The channels are gated by ligand, where
binding of a ligand causes opening of the
channel.
2. G-protein-coupled receptors
Largest family of cell
surface receptors
7 transmembrane -
helices
Extracellular N-term,
intracellular C-term
C-terminus interacts
with downstream
effectors
- G proteins consist of three
subunits; , ,
- Signal molecule binds

GPCR
- Activated GPCR induces

exchange of GDP for GTP
on G subunit
- G dissociates from G
- Activated subunits diffuse

within the plane of the
membrane to activate
downstream signaling
molecules
3- Enzyme-linked receptors
When activated they can function as
enzymes or are directly associated with
enzymes, which they activate.
Example: Tyrosine-Kinase Receptors

Tyrosine-Kinase Receptors
FUNCTION: are commonly the
receptor responsible for
receiving growth factor signals
that stimulate cell division
STRUCTURAL: Plasma
membrane protein consisting of
a single -helix spanning the
membrane with a cytoplasmic
portion that has the ability to
transfer phosphate from ATP to
tyrosine (amino acid) on a
substrate; the enzyme activity is
found on the cytoplasmic side
of the membrane.
MECHANISM:
Ligand binds receptor molecules, causing two of
them to dimerize
The kinase activity of one molecule catalyzes

transfer of phosphate from ATP to the
tyrosines of the other and vice versa
Dimerized and phosphorylated = ACTIVE

receptor protein recognized by intracellular
proteins that subsequently become active
Active intracellular proteins called RELAY

PROTEINS stimulate pathways in the cell
Cells can adjust their sensitivity to a signal
The rate and extent to which a cell responds to a
given signal can be modulated by several
mechanisms; removal from the cell surface by
endocytosis, removal and degradation,
modification of the receptor, modification of the
signaling protein, or product inhibition.
Summary

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Cell communication

Cells tend to signal each other via the release

Cells respond to these stimuli in a cell-

Receptor: way to sense signal

Intracellular signaling molecules: integration,

Target molecules: the things that mediate the

The manner in which each

The different types of

Chemical signals include: Proteins, peptides,

Physical signals include; Stretch and photons,

2. Molecules that are too

G-protein-linked receptors (GPCRs,

- Signal molecule binds

- Activated GPCR induces

- Activated subunits diffuse

Example: Tyrosine-Kinase Receptors

The kinase activity of one molecule catalyzes

Dimerized and phosphorylated = ACTIVE

Active intracellular proteins called RELAY

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