How were signal transduction pathways discovered?
1 Answer
Nov 22, 2016
Signal transduction involves the binding of extra cellular signalling molecules, to receptors that trigger events inside the cell.
Explanation:
In 1970 Martin Rodbell examined the effects of glucagon on a rat's liver cell membrane receptor. He noted that guanosine triphosphate disassociated glucagon from this receptor and stimulated the G - protein , which strongly influenced the cells metabolism. Thus it was deduced that the G protein is a transducer that accepts glucose molecules and affects the cell.
For this he shared the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine with Alfred G. Gilman.