Abstract
A key concept in biological sciences including pharmacology and toxicology is that bioactive small molecules such as drugs, hormones, and nutrients must achieve adequate concentration at a target site in order to elicit a biological response. For many chemicals, the ultimate site of action is a cognate protein or 'receptor.' The main criteria for the operational term 'receptor' are the functions of recognition and transduction. By this definition, a receptor must recognize a distinct chemical entity and translate information from that entity into a form that the cell can interpret, and alter its state accordingly. This altered state may be a change in permeability, activation of a guanine nucleotide regulatory protein, or an alteration in the transcription of DNA. To differentiate a receptor from an enzyme, the recognition unit should not chemically alter the small molecule and, to differentiate from a binding protein, a receptor must produce a biochemical change and transmit the signal. Often the receptor is a protein and a single component of a large complex of macromolecules that may include other proteins, RNA, and DNA.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Comprehensive Toxicology |
Subtitle of host publication | Second Edition |
Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
Pages | 27-50 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Volume | 2-14 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780080468846 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2010 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Medicine