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Signal transduction is the process by which a chemical or physical signal is transmitted through a cell as a series of molecular events. Proteins responsible for detecting stimuli are generally termed receptors , although in some cases the term sensor is used. [ 1 ]
Signal transduction is realized by activation of specific receptors and consequent production/delivery of second messengers, such as Ca 2+ or cAMP.These molecules operate as signal transducers, triggering intracellular cascades and in turn amplifying the initial signal. [4]
The functioning of a signal transduction pathway is based on extra-cellular signaling that in turn creates a response that causes other subsequent responses, hence creating a chain reaction, or cascade. During the course of signaling, the cell uses each response for accomplishing some kind of a purpose along the way.
There are three kinds of contextual factors that determine the shape the TGF-β response: the signal transduction components, the transcriptional cofactors and the epigenetic state of the cell. The different ligands and receptors of TGF-β are significant as well in the composition signal transduction pathway. [2]
The signal transduction component labeled as "MAPK" in the pathway was originally called "ERK," so the pathway is called the MAPK/ERK pathway. The MAPK protein is an enzyme, a protein kinase that can attach phosphate to target proteins such as the transcription factor MYC and, thus, alter gene transcription and, ultimately, cell cycle progression.
They are one of the triggers of intracellular signal transduction cascades. [1] Examples of second messenger molecules include cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, inositol triphosphate, diacylglycerol, and calcium. [2] First messengers are extracellular factors, often hormones or neurotransmitters, such as epinephrine, growth hormone, and serotonin.
Calcium signaling is the use of calcium ions (Ca 2+) to communicate and drive intracellular processes often as a step in signal transduction. Ca 2+ is important for cellular signaling. Once it enters the cytosol of the cytoplasm it exerts allosteric regulatory effects on many enzymes and proteins.
Proteins that have been myristoylated are involved in signal transduction cascade, protein-protein interactions and in mechanisms that regulate protein targeting and function. [13] An example in which the myristoylation of a protein is important is in apoptosis , programmed cell death.