Assignment task: Intercellular Communication: Receptor Enzyme Complexes and G-Protein Coupled Receptors
Review the methods of cell-to-cell communication:
Problem 1: Describe how gap junctions facilitate cell to cell communication. Provide an example of a tissue or organ that uses gap junctions to communicate.
Problem 2: Describe the method of surface marker linkages.
Problem 3: The above 2 methods you described indicate direct communication methods between cells that are bound to each other. Now briefly describe the indirect communication between cells, using chemical messengers that bind to target receptors:
1. Paracrine messengers:
2. Neurotransmitters:
3. Hormones:
4. Neurohormones:
Problem 4: Is the response between a chemical messenger and a particular receptor always the same? Explain why or why not. (Ex. ACh can be both inhibitory and excitatory. Why?)
Problem 5: In a second messenger system, a first messenger stimulates the target cell to activate the second messenger. To what structure does the first messenger bind and where is it located on the cell? Where is the second messenger located?
Signal Transduction:
Problem 6: The binding of the 1st messenger brings about a cellular response in one of three ways, depending on the target cell. Please name those 3 ways:
a.
b.
c.
Since we covered gated channels while studying neurons, let's go over the other 2 methods: Receptor-Enzyme complexes and G-protein receptors.