Mechanisms of cellular information processing.
Living cells in multicellular organisms are in simultaneous contact with many regulatory factors such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Many of these factors vary with time in their local concentrations, owing to pulsatile release or production. Therefore, complex patterns of signaling factors act on each living cell in vivo, stimulating or inhibiting second-messenger pathways with potentially complex dynamics. These intracellular pathways do not operate independently but are extensively interconnected, creating complex networks and patterns of intracellular signals that combine to determine the cell's response. The potential significance of cross-signaling between second-messenger pathways and of dynamic stimulation of receptors for cellular information processing in physiology and pathophysiology are discussed.
Schöfl
C
C
Department of Clinical Endocrinology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Prank
K
K
Brabant
G
G