Protons as intercellular messengers.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 18191215.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2007.12.020.
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Abstract
Muscle contractions are driven by neurotransmitters released at neuromuscular junctions. In this issue, Beg et al. (2008) report that protons, in the absence of neurotransmitters and neurons, can stimulate muscle contractions involved in the defecation cycle of the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Their results identify protons as a new intercellular messenger and suggest that proton-mediated intercellular communication may be a widespread phenomenon.
Medical subject headings
- Caenorhabditis elegans
- Cell Communication
- Muscle Contraction
- Protons
- Signal Transduction