Signal transduction specialized domains

The presence of these domains is tremendously helpful to scientists trying to unravel signal-transduction pathways. When a protein in a signal-transduction pathway is identified, its amino acid sequence can be analyzed for the presence of these specialized domains by the methods described in Chapter 6. If one or more domains of known function is found, it is often possible to develop clear hypotheses about potential binding partners and signal-transduction mechanisms. 

Among the GluRs, NMDA receptors are biochemically the most tightly associated with the postsynaptic density (PSD), a morphological characteristic of excitatory synapses that is specialized for postsynaptic signal transduction (Kennedy, 1997 Ziff, 1997). Presumably, NMDA receptors are anchored in the PSD through specific protein-protein interactions mediated by the cytoplasmic domains of its constituent subunits. Via these biochemical interactions, NMDA receptors can be linked to the subsynaptic cytoskeleton and coupled to... 

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