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Chapter 16 Cell Communication Questions

For questions 1-5 chose answers from the list below.

1. A signal that must be relayed to the entire body is most efficiently sent by __________________ cells,
which produce hormones that are carried throughout the body through the bloodstream.



2. __________________ methods of cell signaling do not require the release of a secreted molecule and
are used for very localized signaling events.




3. During __________________ signaling, the signal remains in the neighborhood of the secreting
cell and thus acts as a local mediator on nearby cells.




4. __________________ signaling converts electrical impulses into a chemical signal.




5. Cells receive signals through a __________________, which can be an integral membrane
protein or can reside inside the cell.

A) amplification
B) contact-dependent
C) endocrine
D) epithelial
E) G-protein
A+B) K
+
channel
A+C) neuronal
A+D) paracrine
A+E) phosphorylation
B+C) receptor
B+D) target



6. Rank the following types of cell signaling from 1 to 4, with 1 representing the type of signaling in which
the signal molecule travels the least distance and 4 the type of signaling in which the signal molecule
travels the largest distance.
______ paracrine signaling
______ contact-dependent signaling
______ neuronal signaling
______ endocrine signaling



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7. Explain why the signal molecules used in neuronal signaling work at a longer range than those used in
contact-dependent signaling.



8. Which is likely to occur more rapidly in response to an extracellular signal.
A) changes in cell secretion B) increased cell division



9. Which is likely to occur more rapidly in response to an extracellular signal.
A) changes in protein phosphorylation B) changes in proteins being synthesized



10. Which is likely to occur more rapidly in response to an extracellular signal.
A) changes in mRNA levels B) changes in membrane potential



11. Receipt of extracellular signals can change cell behavior quickly (e.g., in seconds or less) or much
more slowly (e.g., in hours).
A. What kind of molecular changes could cause quick changes in cell behavior?


B. What kind of molecular changes could cause slow changes in cell behavior?


C. Explain why the response you named in A results in a quick change, whereas the response you
named in B results in a slow change.



12. The figure below shows the pathway through which nitric oxide (NO) triggers smooth muscle relaxation
in a blood-vessel wall. Which of the following situations would lead to relaxation of the smooth muscle
cells in the absence of acetylcholine?






A) a smooth muscle cell that has a defect in guanylyl cyclase such that it cannot bind NO
B) a muscle cell that has a defect in guanylyl cyclase such that it constitutively converts GTP to
cyclic GMP
arginine
activated
nerve terminal
endothelial cell smooth muscle cell
RAPID RELAXATION
OF SMOOTH MUSCLE CELL
NO
RAPID DIFFUSION OF NO
ACROSS MEMBRANES
NO bound to
guanylyl cyclase
cyclic
GMP
acetylcholine
GTP
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C) a muscle cell that has cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase constitutively active
D) a drug that blocks an enzyme involved in the metabolic pathway from arginine to NO
E) the absence of extracellular calcium available to the nerve cell



For questions 13-18 chose answers from the list below.
13. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) all have a similar structure with
__________________ transmembrane domains.




14. When a GPCR binds an extracellular signal, an intracellular G protein, composed of
__________________ subunits, becomes activated.




15. __________________ of the G-protein subunits are tethered to the plasma membrane
by short lipid tails.




16. When unstimulated, the ! subunit is bound to GDP, which is exchanged for
__________________ on stimulation.




17. The intrinsic __________________ activity of the ! subunit is important for inactivating
the G protein.




18. __________________ inhibits this activity of the ! subunit, thereby keeping the subunit
in an active state.

A) phosphodiesterase
B) GTP
C) adenylyl cyclase
D) seven
E) two
A+B) GDP
A+C) diacylglycerol
A+D) five
A+E) GTPase
B+C) cholera toxin
B+D) AMP
B+E) three
C+D) ATPase
C+E) Ca
2+

D+E) cAMP
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19. A protein kinase can act as an integrating device in signaling if it ___________________.
A) phosphorylates more than one substrate
B) catalyzes its own phosphorylation
C) is activated by two or more proteins in different signaling pathways
D) initiates a phosphorylation cascade involving two or more protein kinases
E) also has phosphatase activity



20. Which of the following mechanisms is not directly involved in inactivating an activated RTK?
A) dephosphorylation by serine/threonine phosphatases
B) dephosphorylation by protein tyrosine phosphatases
C) removal of the RTK from the plasma membrane by endocytosis
D) digestion of the RTK in lysosomes
E) blocking the catalytic site in the RTK



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Chapter 16 Cell Communication (Answers)

1. endocrine

2. contact-dependent

3. paracrine

4. euronal

5. receptor

6. paracrine signaling = 3
contact-dependent signaling = 1
neuronal signaling = 2
endocrine signaling = 4

7. The neurotransmitter released from a neuron in neuronal signaling must diffuse across the synaptic
cleft to reach receptors on the target cell. In contrast, in contact-dependent signaling, the signal
molecule is attached to the plasma membrane of the signaling cell and interacts with receptors located
on the plasma membrane of the receiving cell; thus, the cells must be in direct contact for this type of
signaling to occur.


8. A.

9. A.

10. B.

11. A. Any answer that involves the modification of existing cell components is correct. Protein
phosphorylation, protein dephosphorylation, protein ubiquitylation, lipid phosphorylation, and
lipid cleavage are all examples of correct answers.

B. Responses that involve alterations in gene expression occur slowly.

C. Modification of existing cellular components can happen quickly, whereas responses that
depend on changes in gene expression take much longer, because the genes will need to be
transcribed, the mRNAs will need to be translated, and the proteins need to accumulate to high
enough levels to instigate change.









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12. B). A constitutively active guanylyl cyclase will produce cGMP even in the absence of a signal and thus
will lead to relaxation of smooth muscle cells in the absence of acetylcholine. Choice A) would lead to a
block in the production of cGMP such that even if NO were to reach the smooth muscle cells, relaxation
would not occur. Choice C) would not lead to muscle cell relaxation independently of acetylcholine,
because cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase is involved in the degradation of cGMP. Choice D) will lead to
a block in the production of NO. Choice E) would block the ability of neurotransmitter vesicles to fuse
with the synaptic membrane.


13. seven

14. three.

15. two

16. GTP

17. GTPase

18. cholera toxin


19. C). Integrating devices are able to relay signals from more than one signaling pathway. Being activated
by two or more proteins in different signalling pathways different allows a kinase (or any other signaling
molecule) to be affected by more than one upstream signal. Choices A), B), and D) affect the output
signal that a kinase is able to produce, not its ability to integrate upstream signals from more than one
signaling pathway. E) having phosphatase activity is not related to integration.


20. A). RTKs are phosphorylated on tyrosines by their dimerization partner, which is also a tyrosine kinase,
and thus the reversal of these phosphorylations involves protein tyrosine phosphotases, and not protein
serine/threonine phosphatases. Endocytosis of the receptor and its ultimate digestion in the lysosome
are other methods that the cell uses to downregulate active receptors.