Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute
19 T. W. Alexander Drive
P.O. Box 14006
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-4006
Tel: 919.685.9350 FAX: 919.685.9360
[email protected]

SAMSI course on 

"The Biophysics of Cell Signaling"

Instructor:

Byron Goldstein, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Class Time:  Thursdays, 4:30-7:00pm 

Class Location:  NISS Building, Room 104 (directions)

Class begins January 20, 2005

University Listings

Duke University    STA 294.04

NC State               MA (ST) 810M.008

UNC                     BIOS 140.003 (Truong)

Course Description

Cells must constantly sense their environment and respond.  The macromolecules (ligands) that cells detect, and the concentrations at which they detect them, are determined by the cell surface receptors they express.  Once a particular ligand binds to a receptor this information must be transmitted across the cell membrane if the cell is to respond.  When the information transfer is successful, a complex set of events is initiated (a signaling cascade) that culminates in the activation or suppression of one or more cellular responses.  In many cases the binding of a ligand to a receptor is not sufficient to initiate signaling.  Rather, for these ligands signaling is initiated by inducing receptors to aggregate with additional membrane proteins or among themselves.  We will focus on receptor families that work in this way, including the growth factor receptors, the immune recognition receptors and the cytokine receptors.  We will discuss models for ligand-receptor binding, ligand-induced receptor aggregation and ligand-initiated cell signaling.  Two basic types of cell signaling models can be distinguished: simple cell signaling models which ignore the details of the signaling cascade, but give insight into how ligand-receptor binding properties affect signaling outcomes; and detailed models, which include specific molecular components and interactions beyond the ligand and receptor, and that are required to gain a mechanistic understanding of cell signaling cascades. Both types of models will be considered. 

Class Notes

as of March 24, 2005

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