Messenger substance
Messenger substances are chemical substances that are used for signal transmission or chemical communication ( chemical communication ). They can develop their effect within an organism , between the individuals of a species or between different species. Other names are also mediator, signal substance, elicitor , semiochemical or infochemical.
Messenger substances are fundamentally important for the interaction and communication between cells and tissues within an organism. In plants, messenger substances regulate, among other things, growth and development as well as their own protection, e.g. B. from pathogens or predators.
The communication between the organisms often takes place via chemical messenger substances, the so-called semiochemicals. In the case of semiochemicals, a general distinction is made between pheromones and allelochemicals . While pheromones are used for communication between organisms of one species ( intraspecific ), allelochemicals convey information between different species ( interspecific ). When it comes to allelochemicals, a distinction is made between allomones that are useful for the sender, kairomones that are useful for the recipient, and synomones that are useful for both.
Examples of an interspecific effect are
- the ability of some plants to attract parasites of plant pests via certain allomones .
- the luring of moths as prey by a species of spider using a sex pheromone.
Examples of messenger substances and their effects
Messenger or signal substance | Place of work | Mode of action | effect | |
---|---|---|---|---|
human | hormone | Cells or tissues in the body | Hormone acts via receptor molecule on the cell surface ( signal transduction ) | Control of metabolic processes in the body by thyroid -hormones, including thyroglobulin |
Hormone penetrates the cell (for example steroids) and reacts there with receptor protein (for example sex hormones such as androgens or estrogens ) | ||||
plant | (Volatile) organic compounds | Cells or tissue in the plant and / or other organisms | Biosynthesis of certain substances, such as proteinase inhibitors in tomatoes | Delay in the growth and development of the pests |
Biosynthesis and subsequent emission of volatile organic compounds, such as terpenoids in the maize plant | Active attraction of parasites or persecutors of harmful insects (tritrophic interaction) | |||
insect | Pheromone | Individuals of the same species | Triggering a certain behavior (e.g. attractants or warning substances; releaser pheromones with a short-term effect) | Mass attack by honey bees after a previous sting ( sting pheromone ) |
Triggering a physiological change (not necessarily in behavior; primer pheromones with long-lasting effects) | Prevention of the rearing of a queen in honey bees through queen substance |
Classes of messenger substances
The messenger substances can be divided into different functional groups or according to their function and effect, whereby the classification often has smooth transitions or is quite arbitrary:
group | Remarks, properties | Example (s) | credentials |
---|---|---|---|
Hormones | Are synthesized in the organism and transmit signals or messages to organs, tissues or cell groups, which may be more or less far away from the place of formation, which have certain physiological effects on their function; Here, hormones do not act directly, but indirectly, for example by changing the enzyme concentration | ||
Cairomones | Messenger substances for communication between different species (so-called allelochemicals ) that only benefit the receiving organism (“recipient”) | z. B. Plant fragrances that show insects the way to the host plant (as a food source) | |
Neurotransmitters | Messenger substances of the nervous system that excite or inhibit nerve cells; narrow local effect; | Neuropeptides ( cytokines ; special neurotransmitters of the brain); regulate the strength of certain reactions; Endorphins , for example, inhibit severe pain, but can also convey feelings of happiness and relaxation after strenuous physical exertion | |
Parahormones | Messenger substances that in some way do not meet all of the criteria necessary to define a hormone | Carbon dioxide: acts as a communication substance in the context of breathing regulation | |
Pheromones | Are excreted in the environment and trigger a certain effect or behavior; In contrast to the allomones, pheromones work between individuals of the same species (intraspecific) | Pheromones, for example, also influence how people live together | |
Phytohormones | Messenger substances in plants; influence growth and differentiation processes | Ethylene , auxins ; In low concentrations, auxins stimulate growth and development processes such as cell division and cell elongation in the plant. In plants, ethylene is involved in growth processes and stress reactions |
Subdivision according to function and effect
effect | Substance class | Name and effect | Example (s) | credentials |
---|---|---|---|---|
Intraspecific | Pheromones | Primer : physiological change | Primer pheromones of bees | |
Intraspecific | Pheromones | Releaser : behavior change | Sex pheromones | |
Interspecific | Allelochemicals | Allomone : advantage for the producing organism or harm to the recipient | Antibiotics, toxins, antifeeding flavorings in plants | |
Interspecific | Allelochemicals | Kairomones : Beneficial for the receiving organism | ||
Interspecific | Allelochemicals | Synomone : advantage for the producing and receiving organism | Floral scent | |
Interspecific | Allelochemicals | Apneumone : released by abiotic substrates; can be beneficial to recipients and detrimental to substrate- dwelling organisms |
With regard to their chemical nature, many messenger substances are peptides , steroids , amino acid derivatives , isoprene derivatives , aldehydes ( benzaldehyde , salicylaldehyde ) or acids such as benzoic acid , to name just a few.
literature
- Ferid Murad (1999): The discovery of some biological effects of nitric oxide and its role in cell communication (Nobel Lecture). In: Angewandte Chemie . Vol. 111, No. 13-14, pp. 1976-1989, doi : 10.1002 / (SICI) 1521-3757 (19990712) 111: 13/14 <1976 :: AID-ANGE1976> 3.0.CO; 2-A .
- Louis J. Ignarro (1999): Nitric oxide: a unique endogenous signaling molecule in vascular biology (Nobel Lecture). In: Angewandte Chemie. Vol. 111, No. 13-14, pp. 2002-2013, doi : 10.1002 / (SICI) 1521-3757 (19990712) 111: 13/14 <2002 :: AID-ANGE2002> 3.0.CO; 2-Q
- Ulrich Förstermann (1994): Nitric oxide (NO): environmental toxin and the body's own messenger substance. In: Biology in Our Time. Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 62-69. doi : 10.1002 / biuz.19940240203 .
- Hanns-J. Neubert: fat, an essential signal substance. In: Welt online. February 9, 2003, ( online ).
- Hans Jürgen Bestmann, Elke Übler, Bert Hölldobler (1997): First studies on the biosynthesis of ant track pheromones. In: Angewandte Chemie. Vol. 109, No. 4, pp. 391-394, doi : 10.1002 / ange.19971090420 .
- John G. Macconnell, Robert M. Silverstein (1973): New findings in the chemistry of insect pheromones. In: Angewandte Chemie. Vol. 85, No. 15, pp. 647-657, doi : 10.1002 / anie.19730851503 .
- Hans Jürgen Bestmann, Otto Vostrowsky (1993): Chemical information systems of nature: Insect pheromones. In: Chemistry in Our Time. Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 123-133, doi : 10.1002 / ciuz.19930270304 .
- Roland Schauer (1972): On the mode of action of the hormones. In: Angewandte Chemie. Vol. 84, No. 2, pp. 41-50, doi : 10.1002 / ange.19720840202 .
- Heinz Hahn & Martin Bopp (1981): Phytohormones: The Cytokinins. In: Biology in Our Time. Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 113-120, doi : 10.1002 / biuz.19810110406 .
- Frank Schröder (1998): Induced chemical defense in plants. In: Angewandte Chemie. Vol. 110, No. 9, pp. 1271-1274, doi : 10.1002 / (SICI) 1521-3757 (19980504) 110: 9 <1271 :: AID-ANGE1271> 3.0.CO; 2-K .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Claus Wasternack & Bettina home (2000): stress defense and development: jasmonats - chemical signals in plants. In: Biology in Our Time. Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 312-320, doi : 10.1002 / 1521-415X (200011) 30: 6 <312 :: AID-BIUZ312> 3.0.CO; 2-8 .
- ↑ Uwe Conrath & Heinrich Kauss (2000): Systemically acquired resistance - the "immune system" of the plant. In: Biology in Our Time. Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 202-208, doi : 10.1002 / 1521-415X (200007) 30: 4 <202 :: AID-BIUZ202> 3.0.CO; 2-1 .
- ↑ Albert Gossauer: Structure and reactivity of biomolecules: An introduction to organic chemistry . Helvetica Chimica Acta, 2006, ISBN 978-3-906390-29-1 , p. 133 ff .
- ^ Stefan Schulz (1997): The chemistry of spider venom and spider silk. In: Angewandte Chemie . Vol. 109, No. 4, pp. 324-337, doi : 10.1002 / ange.19971090404 .
- ↑ G. Czihak, H. Langer, H. Ziegler (eds.): Biology - a textbook . Springer Verlag, Berlin 1996, ISBN 3-540-61557-1 .
- ↑ Johannes Huber, Elisa Gregor: The power of the hormones. Verlag Droemer / Knaur, 2005, ISBN 3-426-66974-9 .
- ^ Albert Gossauer: Structure and reactivity of biomolecules , Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zurich, 2006, p. 133, ISBN 978-3-906390-29-1 .
- ↑ Michael Angrick (1983): Endorphins. In: Pharmacy in our time. Vol. 12, No. 5, pp. 129-134. doi : 10.1002 / pauz.19830120501
- ↑ Joachim W. Deitmer (2000): Energy flow in the brain. How glial cells make neurons strong. In: Biology in Our Time . Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 333-340, doi : 10.1002 / 1521-415X (200011) 30: 6 <333 :: AID-BIUZ333> 3.0.CO; 2-X .
- ↑ G. Czihak, H. Langer, H. Ziegler (eds.): Biology - a textbook . Springer Verlag, Berlin 1996, ISBN 3-540-61557-1 .
- ↑ Udo Pollmer, Andrea Fock, Ulrike Gonder, Karin Haug: Love goes through the nose. What influences and guides our behavior. Publishing house Kiepenheuer and Witsch, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-462-03011-6 .
- ↑ Klaus Grossmann & Hauke Hansen (2003): Auxin herbicides: active ingredients with a Janus face. In: Biology in Our Time. Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 12-20, doi : 10.1002 / biuz.200390002 .
- ↑ Donald A. Nordlund: Semiochemicals: a review of the terminology. In: Semiochemicals: Their Role in Pest Control. DA Nordlund, RL Jones, WJ Lewis (Eds.), John Wiley & Sons, New York 1981, pp. 13-28, ISBN 0-471-05803-3 .
- ↑ N. Koeniger, HJ Veith: Specificity of a brood pheromone and brood recognition in the honey bee (Apis Mellifera L.). In: Apidology. 15, 1984, pp. 205-210, doi : 10.1051 / apido: 19840208 .
- ↑ Adolf Butenandt, Rüdiger Beckmann, Erich Hecker: About the sexual attractant of the silk moth, I. The biological test and the isolation of the pure sexual attractant bombykol. In: Hoppe-Seyler's journal for physiological chemistry. 324, 1961, pp. 71-83, doi : 10.1515 / bchm2.1961.324.1.71 .
- ↑ Ursula Klaschka: Trace substances influence living together , Nachrichten aus der Chemie 59 ( 2011 ) 613–618.