Abstract
Signal transduction originates at the membrane, where the clustering of signaling proteins is a key step in transmitting a message. Membranes are difficult to study, and their influence on signaling is still only understood at the most rudimentary level. Recent advances in the biophysics of membranes, surveyed in this review, have highlighted a variety of phenomena that are likely to influence signaling activity, such as local composition heterogeneities and long-range mechanical effects. We discuss recent mechanistic insights into three signaling systems-Ras activation, Ephrin signaling and the control of actin nucleation-where the active role of membrane components is now appreciated and for which experimentation on the membrane is required for further understanding.
MeSH terms
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Actins / chemistry
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Actins / metabolism
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Animals
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Chemical Phenomena
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Humans
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Membrane Lipids / chemistry
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Membrane Lipids / metabolism
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Membrane Proteins / chemistry
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Membrane Proteins / metabolism
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Membranes / chemistry
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Membranes / metabolism*
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Models, Biological
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Multiprotein Complexes / chemistry
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Multiprotein Complexes / metabolism
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Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
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Protein Kinase C / chemistry
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Protein Kinase C / metabolism
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Receptor, EphA2 / chemistry
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Receptor, EphA2 / metabolism
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Signal Transduction / physiology*
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Son of Sevenless Proteins / chemistry
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Son of Sevenless Proteins / metabolism
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Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family / chemistry
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Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family / metabolism
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ras Proteins / chemistry
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ras Proteins / metabolism
Substances
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Actins
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Membrane Lipids
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Membrane Proteins
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Multiprotein Complexes
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Son of Sevenless Proteins
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Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family
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Receptor, EphA2
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Protein Kinase C
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ras Proteins