4.4 Changes in Signal Transduction Pathways
3 min read•january 4, 2023
Annika Tekumulla
Haseung Jun
Annika Tekumulla
Haseung Jun
Cellular Processes
Changes to any structure in the cell cycle can affect the signal transduction pathway. As we talked about earlier, the signal transduction pathway has the ability to alter cellular processes. Specifically, mutations can lead to detrimental effects on later responses.
Mutations
Mutations have the ability to greatly impact the cell cycle. It can disturb the production of proteins, which could be crucial to the cell's survival. Or, for example, mutations in the signal transduction pathway can prevent the cell from regulating its cell cycle. When the cell cycle is unregulated, it can result in unrestricted cell division that could lead to harmful conditions like cancer.
Let's look at an example. Insulin is a type of ligand that tells the liver to store glucose as glycogen and reduce the level of sugar in the bloodstream. It travels through the blood stream, and it binds to a receptor protein on the surface of a liver cell. Accordingly, the liver cell activates a sequence to link the glucose molecules together into a long chain, making glycogen. Then, the blood sugar level is decreased. However, when mutations happen with creating the insulin, recepting the insulin or activating a response. This might be because the DNA was deleted, missing or damaged. Type 1 Diabetes comes from the inability to create insulin. This type of mutation causes patients to be unable to regulate their blood sugar level.
Type 2 Diabetes, on the other hand, comes from the inability to recognize insulin. This means that the liver cell is unable to recognize what the insulin is trying to say, thus unable to follow through with a response and store glucose. This may be due to a mutation with the receptor protein when it was being made.
We will go over more effects that mutations can have on cells in section 4.7 Regulation of Cell Cycle.
Image courtesy of Giphy.
Chemicals
Along with mutations, chemicals have the ability to alter the signal transduction pathway. These chemicals can either activate or hamper the pathway’s response. For example, chemicals such as lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and ethanol have the ability to have neurotoxic effects with specific signal transduction pathways.
Things like temperature, chemicals and pH can cause disruptions too. Remember denatured proteins? The same applies here. Without proteins, the signal transduction pathway is a complete failure. If the proteins, therefore, are damaged or denatured in any way shape or form, the signal transduction pathway could be significantly altered. Like the insulin example, the receptor might not recognize a ligand, or maybe a cell won't be able to produce a ligand. This can cause the cell to fail to response more effectively.
Lastly we have inhibitors. These inhibitors can block the sites of the receptor proteins, so the ligand can't bind. This will, again, cause great disruptions to the signal transduction pathways. This is actually how most medications are made. They usually take place of a ligand so that a specific part of the body functions are not being processed.
Key Terms to Review (22)
Blood Sugar Level
: The concentration of glucose present in the blood. It is usually measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).Cellular Processes
: Cellular processes are the biochemical mechanisms that occur within living cells to maintain life, such as cell division, protein synthesis, and energy production.Chemicals
: Substances produced by different processes involving changes at molecular level. They have specific properties and play crucial roles in biological processes.Denatured Proteins
: Denatured proteins have lost their native shape and biological function due to stress factors like heat, pH changes, or chemicals.DNA
: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is a molecule that carries most of the genetic instructions used in development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms.Ethanol
: Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a type of alcohol produced by yeast during fermentation. It's found in alcoholic beverages and used as a biofuel.Glucose Molecules
: Glucose molecules are simple sugars that serve as primary energy sources for living organisms. They can be broken down during cellular respiration to provide energy for cells.Glycogen
: Glycogen is a polysaccharide that serves as the primary form of energy storage in animals and fungi. It's similar to starch but has more extensive branching.Inhibitors
: Inhibitors are substances that reduce the activity of enzymes, slowing down or even stopping certain reactions in the body.Insulin
: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. It allows cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream and use it as energy.Lead
: Lead is a heavy metal that is naturally occurring in the earth's crust. It is toxic to humans and animals when ingested or inhaled, causing damage to the nervous system and other organs.Ligand
: A ligand is a molecule that binds to another (usually larger) molecule. In cell communication, it's often the signal molecule that binds to a receptor.Liver Cell
: Liver cells, also known as hepatocytes, are responsible for protein synthesis, detoxification and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion among other functions.Neurotoxic Effects
: Neurotoxic effects refer to the damage or disruption of the structure and function of neurons, which are the nerve cells in our brain and nervous system, due to exposure to natural or artificial toxic substances.Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
: PCBs are man-made organic chemicals consisting of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine atoms. They were used in numerous industrial applications but were banned due to their environmental persistence and potential health risks.Proteins
: Large biomolecules consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms.Receptor Protein
: A receptor protein is a molecule found on the surface of cells that binds to specific substances, triggering a specific response in the cell.Receptor Protein Mutation
: A change or alteration in receptor proteins which can affect their function. This can lead to various diseases if these proteins fail to perform their normal functions.Receptor Proteins
: Receptor proteins are special structures within cells or situated on their exterior surfaces that bind specific substances, triggering changes in the behavior of the cells.Signal Transduction Pathway
: A signal transduction pathway is a series of molecular events through which cells respond to external signals. These pathways convert these signals into cellular responses.Type 1 Diabetes
: An autoimmune disease where pancreas produces little or no insulin due to destructions of insulin-producing cells by immune system. This leads to high levels of sugar (glucose) in bloodstream.Type 2 Diabetes
: A chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), resulting in too much sugar circulating in your blood. It's often associated with obesity and lack of exercise.4.4 Changes in Signal Transduction Pathways
3 min read•january 4, 2023
Annika Tekumulla
Haseung Jun
Annika Tekumulla
Haseung Jun
Cellular Processes
Changes to any structure in the cell cycle can affect the signal transduction pathway. As we talked about earlier, the signal transduction pathway has the ability to alter cellular processes. Specifically, mutations can lead to detrimental effects on later responses.
Mutations
Mutations have the ability to greatly impact the cell cycle. It can disturb the production of proteins, which could be crucial to the cell's survival. Or, for example, mutations in the signal transduction pathway can prevent the cell from regulating its cell cycle. When the cell cycle is unregulated, it can result in unrestricted cell division that could lead to harmful conditions like cancer.
Let's look at an example. Insulin is a type of ligand that tells the liver to store glucose as glycogen and reduce the level of sugar in the bloodstream. It travels through the blood stream, and it binds to a receptor protein on the surface of a liver cell. Accordingly, the liver cell activates a sequence to link the glucose molecules together into a long chain, making glycogen. Then, the blood sugar level is decreased. However, when mutations happen with creating the insulin, recepting the insulin or activating a response. This might be because the DNA was deleted, missing or damaged. Type 1 Diabetes comes from the inability to create insulin. This type of mutation causes patients to be unable to regulate their blood sugar level.
Type 2 Diabetes, on the other hand, comes from the inability to recognize insulin. This means that the liver cell is unable to recognize what the insulin is trying to say, thus unable to follow through with a response and store glucose. This may be due to a mutation with the receptor protein when it was being made.
We will go over more effects that mutations can have on cells in section 4.7 Regulation of Cell Cycle.
Image courtesy of Giphy.
Chemicals
Along with mutations, chemicals have the ability to alter the signal transduction pathway. These chemicals can either activate or hamper the pathway’s response. For example, chemicals such as lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and ethanol have the ability to have neurotoxic effects with specific signal transduction pathways.
Things like temperature, chemicals and pH can cause disruptions too. Remember denatured proteins? The same applies here. Without proteins, the signal transduction pathway is a complete failure. If the proteins, therefore, are damaged or denatured in any way shape or form, the signal transduction pathway could be significantly altered. Like the insulin example, the receptor might not recognize a ligand, or maybe a cell won't be able to produce a ligand. This can cause the cell to fail to response more effectively.
Lastly we have inhibitors. These inhibitors can block the sites of the receptor proteins, so the ligand can't bind. This will, again, cause great disruptions to the signal transduction pathways. This is actually how most medications are made. They usually take place of a ligand so that a specific part of the body functions are not being processed.
Key Terms to Review (22)
Blood Sugar Level
: The concentration of glucose present in the blood. It is usually measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).Cellular Processes
: Cellular processes are the biochemical mechanisms that occur within living cells to maintain life, such as cell division, protein synthesis, and energy production.Chemicals
: Substances produced by different processes involving changes at molecular level. They have specific properties and play crucial roles in biological processes.Denatured Proteins
: Denatured proteins have lost their native shape and biological function due to stress factors like heat, pH changes, or chemicals.DNA
: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is a molecule that carries most of the genetic instructions used in development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms.Ethanol
: Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a type of alcohol produced by yeast during fermentation. It's found in alcoholic beverages and used as a biofuel.Glucose Molecules
: Glucose molecules are simple sugars that serve as primary energy sources for living organisms. They can be broken down during cellular respiration to provide energy for cells.Glycogen
: Glycogen is a polysaccharide that serves as the primary form of energy storage in animals and fungi. It's similar to starch but has more extensive branching.Inhibitors
: Inhibitors are substances that reduce the activity of enzymes, slowing down or even stopping certain reactions in the body.Insulin
: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. It allows cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream and use it as energy.Lead
: Lead is a heavy metal that is naturally occurring in the earth's crust. It is toxic to humans and animals when ingested or inhaled, causing damage to the nervous system and other organs.Ligand
: A ligand is a molecule that binds to another (usually larger) molecule. In cell communication, it's often the signal molecule that binds to a receptor.Liver Cell
: Liver cells, also known as hepatocytes, are responsible for protein synthesis, detoxification and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion among other functions.Neurotoxic Effects
: Neurotoxic effects refer to the damage or disruption of the structure and function of neurons, which are the nerve cells in our brain and nervous system, due to exposure to natural or artificial toxic substances.Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
: PCBs are man-made organic chemicals consisting of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine atoms. They were used in numerous industrial applications but were banned due to their environmental persistence and potential health risks.Proteins
: Large biomolecules consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms.Receptor Protein
: A receptor protein is a molecule found on the surface of cells that binds to specific substances, triggering a specific response in the cell.Receptor Protein Mutation
: A change or alteration in receptor proteins which can affect their function. This can lead to various diseases if these proteins fail to perform their normal functions.Receptor Proteins
: Receptor proteins are special structures within cells or situated on their exterior surfaces that bind specific substances, triggering changes in the behavior of the cells.Signal Transduction Pathway
: A signal transduction pathway is a series of molecular events through which cells respond to external signals. These pathways convert these signals into cellular responses.Type 1 Diabetes
: An autoimmune disease where pancreas produces little or no insulin due to destructions of insulin-producing cells by immune system. This leads to high levels of sugar (glucose) in bloodstream.Type 2 Diabetes
: A chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), resulting in too much sugar circulating in your blood. It's often associated with obesity and lack of exercise.
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