Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
2169880 Current Opinion in Cell Biology 2011 7 Pages PDF
Abstract

Large-scale molecular assemblies, or signaling clusters, at the cell membrane are emerging as important regulators of cell signaling. Here, we review new findings and describe shared characteristics common to signaling clusters from a diverse set of cellular systems. The well-known T cell receptor cluster serves as our paradigmatic model. Specifically, each cluster initiates recruitment of hundreds of molecules to the membrane, interacts with the actin cytoskeleton, and contains a significant fraction of the entire signaling process. Probed by recent advancements in patterning and microscopy techniques, the signaling clusters display functional outcomes that are not readily predictable from the individual components.

► Comparative study of signaling clusters in diverse biological systems. ► New techniques reveal emergent functional properties of cluster signaling. ► Cluster assembly itself can be a signal regulatory mechanism.

Related Topics
Life Sciences Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Cell Biology
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