PROTEIN MODULES AND SIGNALING NETWORKS

Communication between cells assumes particular importance in multicell ular organisms. The growth, migration and differentiation of cells in the embryo, and their organization into specific tissues, depend on si gnals transmitted from one cell to another. In the adult, cell signall ing orchestrates normal cellular behaviour and responses to wounding a nd infection. The consequences of breakdowns in this signalling underl ie cancer, diabetes and disorders of the immune and cardiovascular sys tems. Conserved protein domains that act as key regulatory participant s in many of these different signalling pathways are highlighted.