title: Molecular biology of cell activation.
abstract: This article summarizes common features of activation of different types of cells along different physiological lines such as proliferation, differentiation, and execution of function of terminally differentiated cells. The common basis of many of these phenomena includes (i) first messengers (growth factors, cytokines, neurotransmitters, etc.) acting on membrane receptors, (ii) second messengers (cAMP, IP3, DAG, Ca2+) spreading an activating signal inside the cell, and (iii) elevated expression of some genes (c-fos, c-myc, ornithine decarboxylase). The role of the genetic correlate in cell activation is emphasized, and it is concluded that the aforementioned genes (their protein products) should be called third messengers, whose function is mediation of long-term phenotypic changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaczmarek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kamińska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase