Affiliations: Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de
Medicina, IDIBAPS*, Universidad de Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain - * IDIBAPS,
Institut de Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Carlos Enrich Departamento de
Biología Celular Facultad de Medicina. IDIBAPS Universidad de Barcelona
Casanova 143 08036-Barcelona. Spain Tel.: 34-93-4021908 Fax.: 34-93-4021907
e-mail: enrich@medicina.ub.es
Abstract: Hormones and growth factors regulate cell metabolism, growth,
differentiation and mitogenesis by interacting with plasma membrane located
receptors. Upon ligand binding receptors are rapidly internalised into a series
of complex membranes system collectively called endocytic compartment. Detailed
studies on a number of receptor tyrosine kinases suggest that internalisation,
rather than simply serving as a mechanism for uptake, may also allow for
selected and regulated signal transduction from intracellular compartments.
Although signal transduction is often credited with being a cascade of
interactions initiated at the plasma membrane but exerting its final effects in
the nucleus, now it has become clear that certain signal-transduction pathways
affect membrane trafficking.
