Munaron Luca
Luca Munaron, Department of Animal and Human Biology, Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces Centre of Excellence, Center for Complex Systems in Molecular Biology and Medicine, University of Torino, 10123 Torino, Italy.
World J Biol Chem. 2011 Apr 26;2(4):59-66. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v2.i4.59.
Cell signaling is a very complex network of biochemical reactions triggered by a huge number of stimuli coming from the external medium. The function of any single signaling component depends not only on its own structure but also on its connections with other biomolecules. During prokaryotic-eukaryotic transition, the rearrangement of cell organization in terms of diffusional compartmentalization exerts a deep change in cell signaling functional potentiality. In this review I briefly introduce an intriguing ancient relationship between pathways involved in cell responses to chemical agonists (growth factors, nutrients, hormones) as well as to mechanical forces (stretch, osmotic changes). Some biomolecules (ion channels and enzymes) act as "hubs", thanks to their ability to be directly or indirectly chemically/mechanically co-regulated. In particular calcium signaling machinery and arachidonic acid metabolism are very ancient networks, already present before eukaryotic appearance. A number of molecular "hubs", including phospholipase A2 and some calcium channels, appear tightly interconnected in a cross regulation leading to the cellular response to chemical and mechanical stimulations.
细胞信号传导是一个非常复杂的生化反应网络，由来自外部介质的大量刺激引发。任何单个信号成分的功能不仅取决于其自身结构，还取决于它与其他生物分子的连接。在原核生物向真核生物转变过程中，细胞组织在扩散区室化方面的重排对细胞信号传导功能潜力产生了深刻变化。在这篇综述中，我简要介绍了参与细胞对化学激动剂（生长因子、营养物质、激素）以及机械力（拉伸、渗透压变化）反应的信号通路之间一种有趣的古老关系。一些生物分子（离子通道和酶）充当“枢纽”，这得益于它们直接或间接受到化学/机械共同调节的能力。特别是钙信号传导机制和花生四烯酸代谢是非常古老的网络，在真核生物出现之前就已存在。许多分子“枢纽”，包括磷脂酶A2和一些钙通道，在交叉调节中紧密相连，从而导致细胞对化学和机械刺激产生反应。
