Instructional materials summary – Harvard SI 2012 Title of teachable tidbit: Cell-Signaling General Topic:Cell and Development Two sentence synopsis of tidbit:Using group work, clicker questions, an analogy and other active learning techniques, students learn the basics of cell signaling and can apply it to explain how neutrophils can chase and kill bacteria. Type of activity (or activities):Clicker questions, think pair share/group model drawing Designed for what level course and type of students? Sophomore level course, introduction to cell-cell signaling Materials required:Clickers, large sheet of paper or white boards, markers, internet access (for youtube movie) Comments on out of class preparation required by students and instructor: Activity can be scaled up or down, but as presented here students should understand that proteins perform functions in the cell and students should know some differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells General comments: List five keywords that would allow others to search for this activity in a database: Neutrophil Chase, Cell Signaling, Signal Transduction, Receptor, Actin Cytoskeletal Rearrangement, fMLP,Voted Best of 2011 Northeast National Academies Summer Institute Cell Biology Presentation Names and institutions of group members: Jill Penn, Mary Madabhushi (Harvard University) Rebecca Pearlman, Richard Shingles, Kathryn Tifft (Johns Hopkins University) Jack Horne, David Zuzga (Pace University) Facilitator: Jen Nauen (University of Delaware) Contact person for questions:Jill Penn

Teachable Tidbit for a Sophomore Level Discussion on Cell Signaling Jill Penn, Mary Madabhushi (Harvard University) Rebecca Pearlman, Richard Shingles, Kathryn Tifft (Johns Hopkins University) Jack Horne, David Zuzga (Pace University) Facilitator: Jen Nauen (University of Delaware) HHMI / The National Academies Summer Institute on Undergraduate Education in Biology 2012

Learning Goals 1) Learn to create and interpret diagrams of biological processes. 2) Understand cell signaling in terms of signal, receptor, relay and output.

Intended Outcomes Students will be able to… 1) define and classify fundamental components of signaling pathways. 2) diagram a representative signaling pathway. 3) interpret signaling pathway diagrams to predict outputs.

How Do Cells Communicate?

Simple model Signal Receptor Cell Membrane Relay Molecules Output

Modeling Activity Imagine that your dorm room represents a cell. The extracellular signal is the ethernet wire entering your dorm room. The cell membrane receptor is your wireless router. Your router then sends out two signals—one to your computer and one to your roommate’s computer. The functional output is music playing from both computers. Model this pathway using the symbols above. What is the relative output of the two computers?

Modeling Activity (Part Deux) You secretly turn off your roommate’s wireless card, so you can covertly stream a high definition video on your computer. Modify your model to reflect these changes…

Wireless Router Dorm Room Comp. 1 Comp. 2 Ethernet Cable Music (50%) Music (50%) Wireless Router Dorm Room Comp. 1 Comp. 2 Ethernet Cable Movie (100%) Pathway DiagramModified Diagram

X Pathways Can Be Modified

If the protein represented by the orange is mutated and nonfunctional, what do you predict will be the effect on the output (the green node) of the pathway? A - No change B - Increase C - Decrease D - I don't know X

Simple model Signal Receptor Cell Membrane Relay Molecules Output

A B Receptor Output Relay Signal Pertussis Toxin Actin Reorganization C D Assign the boxes above one of the following terms:

Acknowledgements HHMI / National Academies Harvard University Rob Lue and Jenny Frederick, SI Co-Directors Jen Nauen, University of Delaware

Supplemental Materials Alternate Versions of the fMLP Pathway Figure Additional Questions to use with Students

Various alternate versions of the fMLP pathway figure Pick one that you like and you can even alter it further!

A B C D Assign each of the following to a letter in the diagram: Signal Receptor Relay Output

A B Receptor Output Relay Signal Pertussis Toxin Actin Reorganization C D Assign the boxes above one of the following terms:

A B C D

Additional optional questions on the fMLP pathway diagram (for clickers, class discussion, homework, exams, etc.) Suppose you study a different type of white blood cell that is NOT a neutrophil. You expose it to the same chemo attractant that made the neturophil chase the bacterial cell. However, in this case, nothing happens. What is the most likely explanation? [Ask students to discuss first with their neighbors before being presented with any of the possible answers.] A. This white blood cell lacks a nucleus. B. This white blood cell has a faulty endoplasmic reticulum. C. This white blood cell lacks the receptor for the chemoattractant. D. This white blood cell has only RNA, but not DNA in its nucleus. E. None of the above What does each glowing letter "P" represent? What are the blobs sitting on the DNA in the nucleus? Which of the following is an outcome of stimulation by chemo attractants? Are there any inhibitors shown in this diagram? Explain. What is one question you still have about the diagram?