Hormone and Receptor Interactions in Cell Signaling

Hormones are cell signaling molecules that are involved in cell-cell communication and transmit information from one part of the body to another. In the endocrine system, hormones are formed in the distant endocrine glands and secreted in the blood circulation. Hormone production, release, and duration of action are regulated by feedback mechanisms. At the destination, hormones bind with their specific receptors having specific binding sites based on their lipophilic or hydrophilic nature. Hormone receptors play a mandatory role in signaling molecule recognition, interaction with the effectors, and coupling with regulator proteins in the cell that are involved in signal transduction. The activated regulatory proteins or receptor-hormone complex, in the case of intracellular receptors, regulates the interaction with DNA. Eventually, the response against signals appears in the form of gene transcription and translation. Many signaling pathways are involved in cell signaling via hormones. For growth hormones, the JAK/STAT pathway and ERK/MAPK kinases play important roles in cell signaling for growth and development. All of these pathways are interconnected and regulate the activation of common signaling proteins that lead to the stimulation of genes. This, ultimately, causes the transcription and translation of genes. The resultant response appears depending upon the signaling received by the receptors, regulator protein activation, and the sequence of gene activated.