BIO 473
CELL RECEPTORS
1. WEEK
Content
• Structural and functional properties of receptors
and their classification, cell surface receptors,
endocytotic pathway and intracellular movement,
classification of ligands, receptor ligand interactions
and signal transduction mechanism, intracellular
membrane receptors, nuclear receptors, molecular
mechanism of signal transduction with nuclear
receptors, receptor regulation, disorders, recent
methodological developments.
Goals
• Understanding the structure and functions of
receptors that play a role in the flow of
information in cells, giving information about
signaling pathways and mechanisms, and
demonstrating the cellular importance of
receptor regulation.
Schedule
1. week
Course description, aim, importance.
Structural and functional properties of receptors, classification.
2. week
Cell surface receptors and extracellular matrix interactions.
3. week
Endocytotic pathway and intracellular movement.
4. week
Molecular basis of intracellular communication 5. week
Receptor ligand interactions and signal transduction mechanisms.
6. week
Intracellular membrane receptors 7. week
Nuclear receptors and the molecular mechanism of signal transduction with nuclear receptors
Schedule
8. week
Messenger molecules (first and second messengers) 9. week
Virus receptors and the mechanism of entry of viruses into cells 10. week
Growth factors, characteristics and growth factor receptors: EGF (Epidermal growth factor) etc.
11. week
Cell activation via immunoreceptors (recombinant receptors) 12. week
IgG Fc receptors in the regulation of the immune response, 13. week
Receptor related disorders, receptor regulation 14. week
Recent methodological developments.
Sources
• Stanford C, Horton R. Receptors: Structure and Function. Second edition. Oxford University
Press, 2002.
• Handbook of Cell Signalling, 2003, Elsevier.
All organisms, whether unicellular or multicellular, need to respond to their ever-changing environment in
order to survive and flourish.
Overview of Signal Transduction
• Signaling: Cell-cell communication via signals
• Signal transduction: Process of converting extracellular signals into intra-cellular responses.
• Ligand: The signaling molecule.
• Receptors: Bind specific ligands.
• Ligands
• Receptors
• Intracellular Signaling Proteins
• Intermediary Proteins
• Enzymes
• Second Messengers
• Target Proteins
• Inactivating Proteins
