[Recent progress in the molecular biology of receptors and intra-cellular signal transduction].

Extracellular signals are recognized by the receptors on the surface of cytoplasmic membrane and are transmitted through the complex array of intracellular signal transduction networks. Through recent advances in molecular and genetic analyses, we are beginning to understand the outline of the signaling machineries leading from receptors to targets at molecular level. This review intends to describe the general characteristics of receptors and components of intra-cellular signal transduction systems. Future prospects of the studies on signal transduction in medicine are also discussed.