Week 4 - Common Signalling Pathways Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Week 4 - Common Signalling Pathways Deck (5)
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1
Q

Why is cancer and development linked?

A

They both utilise the same signalling processes/there are processes common to both.

2
Q

State the 5 developmental signalling pathways.

A
  1. Wnt
  2. Notch
  3. Hedgehog
  4. TGF-β
  5. FGF
3
Q

What is a morphogen?

A

A chemical that causes/induces morphological structure formation.

4
Q

What is the need for the 5 developmental signalling pathways?

A

They are major molecular mechanisms that control embryonic development.

5
Q

List the receptors and ligands involved in the TGF-β signal pathway, and describe the mechanism.

A

Receptors:
Type I and II single pass transmembrane receptor kinases

Ligands:
Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) superfamily including TGF-β, activins, Nodal, Bone Morphogenic Proteins (BMPs), myostatin

Mechanism:
TGF-β ligands bind to a type II receptor, which recruits and phosphorylates a type I receptor. The type I receptor
phosphorylates Smad2/3, which can now bind the Smad4. This Smad2/3/4 complex enters the nucleus where they induce gene expression by binding to a DNA sequence (CAGAC) in the promoters of target genes