Modes of interactions between signaling pathways.

The study of signaling pathways has begun to uncover the mechanism by which cells respond and adapt to extracellular stimuli. It has become increasingly clear that the signaling pathways interact with one another to form a complex network through which regulation occurs. Here, we focus on three mechanisms by which signaling pathways interact and the physiological consequences of these interactions. Coincident signaling in long-term depression of synaptic responses in the cerebellum, protein kinase A gating of Ras to mitogen-activated protein kinase signal flow in proliferative responses, and a modified gating mechanism by phosducin resulting in feedback regulation of signal flow from rhodopsin to the cGMP phosphodiesterase in retinal light adaptation are analyzed as examples of different types of interactions between signaling pathways. These interactions allow the cell to spatially and temporally integrate complex information and respond in an appropriate and defined manner.