Section III (Chapters 10-15) Flashcards
(250 cards)
What the general sequence for signal transduction?
- Chemical messenger is secreted from specific cells in response to a stimulus
- Messenger diffuses/is transported to target cell
- Receptor in target cell specifically binds the messenger
- Binding of messenger to receptor elicits a response
- Signal ceases and is terminated
Endocrine signaling
Travel in blood, longer distancea
Paracrine signaling
Travel between nearby cells (think: synapse), specific to only nearby receptors (not every muscle cell with ACh receptors; just the neighbors)
What does paracrine signaling limit?
Immune response to specific locations within the body
Autocrine signaling
Act on same cell or sometimes same nearby cells
What type of chemical messenger does the nervous system have?
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters
Contains nitrogen molecules (such as amino acids) or neuropeptides
Can be found at synaptic junctions or within the blood (neurohormones)
What type of chemical messengers does the endocrine system have?
Hormones
Hormones
Secreted from endocrine glands
Types: polypeptide hormones (insulin), catecholamines (epinephrine), steroid (cholesterol derived), thyroid (tyrosine derived)
What are specialized hormones that is not synthesized in endocrine cells?
Retinoids! -> derived from vitamin A & D
What chemical messengers are found in the immune system?
Cytokines
Cytokines
Small proteins that work to KILL invading microorganisms
Types: interleukins, tumor necrosis factors, interferons, colony-stimulating factors
Secreted via immune cells, and alter behavior of other cells by activating transcription of genes for proteins involved in immune response
Eicosanoids
Prostaglandins, thromboxane, and leukotrienes
Control cellular functions in response to injury
Derived from arachidonic acid (fatty acid), usually present as part of membrane lipid phosphatidylcholine
Growth factors
Polypeptides that function through stimulation of cellular proliferation or cell size
What type of receptor are nicotinic acetylcholine receptors?
Ligand-gated ion channel receptor
What occurs in the chemical synapse with nAChR?
Action potential causes changes in Na and K gradients across cell, resulting opening of Ca channel and influx of Ca which triggers fusion of vesicles within plasma membrane, releasing ACh into synaptic cleft, binds to nicotinic ACh receptor which contains a channel within the center of the receptors, causes conformational change opening the channel allowing Na to diffuse in and K to diffuse out which activates action potential down next nerve cell
(Sodium Potassium Pump!!!!)
What occurs in myasthenia gravis molecularly?
B & T lymphocytes develop pathogenic antibodies against nicotinic ACh receptors which bind to the receptors and cross-link them which is endocytosed and degraded
What does myasthenia gravis cause?
Inability of ACh to stimulate repeated muscle contraction (tirednesses utilizing muscle)
How do we test for myasthenia gravis?
Acetylcholinesterase -> edrophonium chloride
Should briefly improve the muscle weaknesses
Repetitive nerve stimulation and EMG can also show partial blockage of ion flux through muscular membranes
What are the treatments for myasthenia gravis?
Anticholinesterase agents
Immunosuppressive drugs
Thymectomy
Intravenous immunoglobulin
Plasmapheresis
Plasma membrane receptors
Spans plasma membrane containing extracellular binding domain
Types: Ion channel receptors, tyrosine kinase receptors, tyrosine kinase associated receptors, serine-threonine receptors, heptahelical receptors
What are the mechanisms for extracellular binding?
Phosphorylation of receptors, conformational changes in signal transducer proteins, or increases in levels of intracellular second messengers
What must the molecules not be able to do when using plasma membrane receptors?
Diffuse through cell -> polar molecules
What are intracellular receptors?
Utilized for messengers that diffuse into cell
Must be: hydrophobic
Mostly gene-specific transcription factors -> regulate transcription