title: Signal amplification: let's turn down the lights.
abstract: G protein activation by membrane-bound receptors initiates a chain reaction that amplifies cellular responses to external signals. In retinal photoreceptors, amplification by the phototransduction cascade is regulated by quickly switching off the visual pigment that acts as the receptor for light.
authors.affiliation: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK. LL1@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lagnado
mesh_terms: D015106:3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D054706:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015293:Transducin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014785:Vision, Ocular
chemical_list: D015106:3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases; D054706:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D015293:Transducin