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Grafik • Graphic
GPCR SIGNALING CASCADE
47
BraiN iN ZahleN • BRAIN in numbers
10
60%
26
Mikroorganismen leben in der Phyllosphäre, [a] dem Bereich, den die Oberflächen von Blättern und Blattscheiden
bilden. Dieser stellt die größte biologische Oberfläche der Erde dar.
13x 10
28
der globalen Biomasse setzen sich aus
Mikroorganismen zusammen. [b]
60 % of global biomass consists of microorga-
Mikroorganismen werden in den Weltmeeren vermutet, dies sind 100 Millionen mehr als Sterne im Universum. [a]
nisms. [b]
13 x 10 28 microorganisms are presumed to live
in the world’s oceans, over 100 million more
than there are stars in the universe. [a]
10 26 Microorganisms live in the phyllosphere, [a]
the area formed by the surface of leaves and
leaf sheaths. This is the largest biological surface on earth.
10
10
10
Mikroorganismen leben auf und im
Menschen. [b] Das sind zehnmal mehr
als menschliche Zellen. [a]
Mikroorganismen findet man in 1 g
menschlichem Zahnbelag. [a]
10 11 microorganisms can been found in 1 g
Mikroorganismen befinden sich einem
Teelöffel Boden, etwa so viel wie Menschen in Afrika leben. [a]
10 microorganisms live inside the human
of human tooth plaque. [a]
10 9 microorganisms can be found in a tea-
15
11
15
9
body and on human skin. [b] That is ten times
spoonful of soil, about as many as there are
more than the number of human cells.
people in Africa. [a]
[a]
9,7 km 1 kg
2
Interaction of an activated GPCR with its accompanying heterotrimeric (αβγ) G protein leads to the nucleotide exchange (GDP to
Fläche bedeckt das größte gefundene
Pilzmyzel in Oregon, USA. [a] Dieses ist
der größte Organismus der Welt.
wiegt in etwa die Gesamtheit aller im
menschlichen Darm lebenden Mikroorgansimen. [a]
GTP) at the α-subunit of the G protein. The activated G protein dissociates into a Gα-GTP subunit and the βγ- subunit complex,
9,7 km 2 is the surface area covered by the larg-
1 kg — the approximate weight of all microor-
which each can interact with different signal transducer proteins. The Gα-GTP subunit can specifically interact and activate phos-
est fungal mycelium found so far, in Oregon,
ganisms that live in the human intestine.
pholipase C, which in turn catalyses the hydrolysis of the membrane-bound phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-biphosphate [PtdIns (4,5) P2]
USA. [a] This is the world’s largest organism.
Schematic overview of the GPCR signaling cascade with the focus on signal transducers and screening possibilities.
into diacylglycerole (DAG) and inositol (1, 4, 5)-triphosphate (IP3). IP3 formation results in release of Ca2+, which can be detected
with fluorescence-sensitive dyes. At the same time IP3 also activates protein kinase C (PKC), which can be measured, e. g., at the
level of gene transcription using appropriate reporter gene assays.
„Now we are talking sense! Functional approaches to novel nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals“, Dr. Michael Krohn, Dr. Alice Kleber,
Dr. Gregor Schaffar, Dr. Ute Dechert and Dr. Jürgen Eck, Biotechnology Journal 2008, 3, 1 – 10
[a] Nature Editorial (2011) Microbiology by numbers. Nat Rev Microbiol 9: 628
Illustration: Maximilian Oehme
[b] Stefan Pelzer (2012) Maßgeschneiderte Mikroorganismen. Biol. Unserer Zeit 2: 1–10
BLICKWINKEL • KULTUR culture
[a]
˜ 170 000
geschätzte Jahre alt sind gefundene
Mikroorganismen, die lebend von Bernstein isoliert wurden. [a]
˜ 170 000 years — the estimated age of living
microorganisms that have been isolated from
amber. [a]