Cellular communications and signalling

  • ECTS

    5 credits

  • Component

    Faculty of Science

Description

The main communication pathways between normal cells and intracellular transduction pathways, encountered in physiological and neurophysiological mechanisms, will be discussed, such as G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), their structure, function and modulation by interacting proteins involved in the desensitization phenomenon. The main intracellular pathways activated by GPCRs will be discussed (MAPkinase, PI3kinase, etc...).

Secondly, an important part of the course will focus on calcium signaling and Ca2+ homeostasis; Ca2+ being a ubiquitous signal in cell signaling. Calcium homeostasis will be studied in particular during the response of lymphocytes after antigenic stimulation. Moreover, the production of oxygenated free radicals, at the origin of oxidative stress, is dependent on intracellular Ca2+. The physiological role of free radicals will be discussed, as well as their involvement in oxidative stress. In this context, the pathways of protection against oxidative stress will also be studied.The following chapter will address the endocannabinoid system which allows to recapitulate all the themes that will be evoked previously in the course. The endocannabinoid system is at the origin of multiple central and peripheral regulations.

Finally, two other themes will be addressed: the blood-brain barrier which allows to evoke the cellular communication in a very integrated way between two environments and the -pancreatic cell whose activity is crucial for the regulation of glycemia by the secretion of insulin.

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Objectives

The objective of the EU is to

-To enable students to acquire current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of intercellular and intracellular communication by taking specific examples of cellular models.

-Describe methodological approaches to decipher the signals used for cellular communication.

-To develop a scientific argumentation with a critical approach of the experimental results (analysis of data from publications related to the themes treated in the framework of the UE).

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Necessary pre-requisites

Obtained a license giving basic knowledge in cellular communication: notion of membrane receptor and intracellular transduction pathway.

Recommended prerequisites: Basic knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the major physiological and neurophysiological functions. Basic knowledge of pharmacology.

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Knowledge control

100% written

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Syllabus

1-Introduction:

-Membrane elements of cell communication: receptors, ion channels, extracellular matrix.

-Multiplicity of transduction pathways

-Reminder of Pharmacology

2-Signals activated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR):

-Main families of GPCR-Protein interacting with GIPs

-Mechanism of desensitization: action of GRK and arrestins

-Tolerance phenomena and opiate dependence

-Notion of 'biased' agonist

-Oligomerization of GPCRs

-Genetic diseases associated with GPCR mutations

3-The calcium signal

-Methodological approaches: fluorescent probes.

-Application: Calcium homeostasis of immune cells (capacitive calcium entry mechanism) and lymphocyte response.

-The nitric oxide pathway

4-Pathways of resistance to oxidative stress

-generation of oxygenated radicals

-activation of the Nrf2 pathway

5-The endocannabinoid and endovanilloid systems

-receptor and eCB ligand discoveries

-biosynthesis and degradation of eCBs

-roles in the regulation of neurotransmission and behavioral activity

-role in food intake

6-The blood-brain barrier

-cellular and molecular aspects

-studies of the permeability of the BBB

7-Examples of signal integration: the cellule-pancreatic

-regulation of insulin release

-mechanism of action of the main anti-diabetics

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