Cell Signaling and Molecular Endocrinology – CSME

Topics

• Molecular pathways involved in the synthesis, processing, folding, trafficking and secretion of local and circulating peptides and hormones (including insulin, steroid and thyroid).
• Nuclear Receptors: regulation, biochemistry and molecular mechanisms of action of androgen and estrogen receptors.
• Regulation, biochemistry and molecular mechanisms of action of glucocorticoids and other nuclear receptors (e.g. thyroid, PPARs, RXRs).
• Structural, biological and biophysical interactions of G-protein-coupled, nuclear and peptide hormone receptors.
• Hormonal regulation of gene expression: Epigenetics, chromatin structure, transcriptional regulators (e.g. DNA-binding proteins, coactivators/ corepressors), nuclear and mitochondrial transcription factors.
• Cell signaling and metabolic regulation of endocrine organs (thyroid, adrenal, parathyroid, endocrine pancreas, pituitary, bone); energy homeostasis (e.g. mitochondria).
• Hormone regulation of non-malignant cell growth and differentiation events.
• Cell signaling and epigenetic mechanisms controlling cell function, and gene expression in metabolic tissues (liver, adipocytes, skeletal muscle).
• Signaling mechanisms and epigenetic regulation of pancreatic islets cells growth and function.

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests with Basic Mechanism in Diabetes and Metabolism (BMDM) in the investigation of signaling pathways that regulate adipocytes and pancreatic islet cells. Applications focused on genetic determinants of pancreatic islets cells and adipocytes development and differentiation may be reviewed in BMDM, while those that focus on signaling pathways of factors that modulate pancreatic islets cells, and adipocytes growth and function may be reviewed here.

There are shared interests with Cellular, Molecular and Integrative Reproduction (CMIR) in the investigation of steroid/hormone signaling. Applications focused on endocrine regulation of male and female germ cell differentiation may be reviewed in CMIR, while those that focus on endocrine regulation of male and female reproductive physiology may be reviewed here.

There are shared interests with Integrative and Clinical Endocrinology and Reproduction (ICER) in the investigation of endocrine organ physiology. Applications focused on the regulation of non-malignant disorders of endocrine organs may be reviewed in ICER, while those that focus on endocrine organ(s): pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal may be reviewed by here.

There are shared interests with Skeletal Biology Development and Disease (SBDD) in the investigation of signaling pathways of peptide hormones and their receptors. Applications focused on paracrine factors involved in bone regulation may be reviewed in SBDD, while those that focus on steroid hormone signaling regulation of muscle and bone cells may be reviewed here. There are shared interests with the Molecular and Integrative Signal Transduction (MIST) in the investigation of molecular mechanisms of cellular signaling. Applications focusing on basic biochemical and structural mechanisms of signal transduction, including G-proteins coupled receptors (GPCR) and their regulation may be reviewed in MIST, while applications that focus on the structural, biological and biophysical interactions of G-protein-coupled receptors in cell biology may be reviewed here.

There are shared interests with the Membrane Biology and Protein Processing (MBPP) in the investigation of the regulation of protein synthesis, processing and trafficking. Applications focusing on understanding the basic mechanisms of these processes may be reviewed by MBPP, while those that focus on molecular pathways involved in the synthesis, processing, folding, trafficking and secretion of local and circulating peptides and hormones may be reviewed here. There are shared interests with the Skeletal Muscle Biology and Exercise Physiology (SMEP) in the investigation of molecular and cellular mechanisms of skeletal muscle function. Applications focusing on biochemical and molecular biology of muscle-specific proteins, skeletal muscle adaptation, energy and substrate metabolism when skeletal muscle function is the primary focus, may be reviewed in SMEP, while those that focus on cell signaling, energy homeostasis, epigenetic mechanisms controlling cell function and gene expression in skeletal muscle may be reviewed here.

There are shared interests with the Oncology IRGs (OBT and OTC) in the investigation of steroid/hormone signaling and their receptors and endocrine organs. Applications that encompass cancer initiation, promotion, progression, and metastasis may be reviewed in the Oncology 1 – Basic Translational (OBT) IRG. Applications involving investigations that encompass cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment may be reviewed in the Oncology 2 – Translational Clinical (OTC) IRG. Applications focused on normal physiology of endocrine organs (e.g. adrenal, thyroid, parathyroid etc.) and applications using cancer cells as experimental models to study mechanisms of action of hormones and nuclear receptors may be reviewed here.