Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cell-surface Signaling

Cell-surface Signaling

Hormones—or any molecule that binds to a receptor, known as a ligand—that are lipid-insoluble (water-soluble) are not able to diffuse across the cell membrane. In order to be able to affect a cell without entering it, these hormones bind to receptors on the cell membrane. When a first messenger, a hormone, binds to a receptor, a signal cascade is set off, causing second messengers, proteins inside the cell, to become activated, resulting in downstream effects.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Covalent Photo-Aptamer Tagging (CPAT) for Single-Cell Multiplexing and Chemical Transcriptomic Screens.

Analytical chemistry·2026

Same author

Microenvironment Magnesium Overload Disrupts Bacterial Membrane Functions for the Central Nervous System Infection Treatment.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Same author

Self-Adaptive Hydrogen Nano-Delivery System in Glaucoma Management: Synergistic Antioxidation and Anti-inflammation Therapeutic Strategy.

ACS nano·2026

Same author

Biomaterials for endometriosis treatment: Design, advances, and prospects.

Acta biomaterialia·2026

Same author

Injectable Metal-Free Carbon Dot-Integrated Hydrogel for Regulating Inflammation via Macrophage Metabolic Reprograming in Spinal Cord Injury Therapy.

ACS nano·2026

Same author

In situ coagulation environment regulation-assisted thrombus clearance via hydrogenated silicon-based nanothrombolytics.

Science advances·2026

Same journal

Fluorescent merocyanines: from fundamental properties to applications as molecular probes, in bioimaging and as emissive dye aggregates.

Chemical Society reviews·2026

Same journal

Direct impure water electrolysis at industrial scale.

Chemical Society reviews·2026

Same journal

Catalytic valorization of polyolefins: from catalysts and processes to reactors.

Chemical Society reviews·2026

Same journal

Designing stable π-radicals.

Chemical Society reviews·2026

Same journal

Antibacterial drug discovery: challenges and preclinical promises from synthetic small molecules.

Chemical Society reviews·2026

Same journal

Selective carbon-carbon bond cleavage involving alkene moieties.

Chemical Society reviews·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 4, 2025

A Label-free Technique for the Spatio-temporal Imaging of Single Cell Secretions

A Label-free Technique for the Spatio-temporal Imaging of Single Cell Secretions

Published on: November 23, 2015

Cell surface-localized imaging and sensing.

Hao-Ran Jia¹, Ya-Xuan Zhu, Qiu-Yi Duan

¹State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China. wufg@seu.edu.cn.

Chemical Society Reviews

|May 24, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers are advancing cell surface studies by developing new labeling strategies for imaging and manipulation. This enables a deeper understanding and control of cell surface properties for biomedical applications.

More Related Videos

High-resolution Spatiotemporal Analysis of Receptor Dynamics by Single-molecule Fluorescence Microscopy

High-resolution Spatiotemporal Analysis of Receptor Dynamics by Single-molecule Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: July 25, 2014

Multi-color Localization Microscopy of Single Membrane Proteins in Organelles of Live Mammalian Cells

Multi-color Localization Microscopy of Single Membrane Proteins in Organelles of Live Mammalian Cells

Published on: June 30, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 4, 2025

A Label-free Technique for the Spatio-temporal Imaging of Single Cell Secretions

A Label-free Technique for the Spatio-temporal Imaging of Single Cell Secretions

Published on: November 23, 2015

High-resolution Spatiotemporal Analysis of Receptor Dynamics by Single-molecule Fluorescence Microscopy

High-resolution Spatiotemporal Analysis of Receptor Dynamics by Single-molecule Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: July 25, 2014

Multi-color Localization Microscopy of Single Membrane Proteins in Organelles of Live Mammalian Cells

Multi-color Localization Microscopy of Single Membrane Proteins in Organelles of Live Mammalian Cells

Published on: June 30, 2018

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biochemistry
Molecular Biology

Background:

The cell surface is a critical interface for cellular communication and response.
Advanced imaging techniques provide insights into cell surface structure and dynamics.
Current research aims to move beyond understanding to actively manipulating cell surface properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advances in cell surface visualization and microenvironment monitoring.
To highlight novel cell surface labeling strategies for imaging, sensing, and biomedical applications.
To discuss future challenges and opportunities in cell surface research.

Main Methods:

Exploiting the cell's intrinsic biosynthetic machinery for labeling.
Utilizing direct chemical or physical binding methods for cell surface modification.
Summarizing recent developments in cell surface imaging and sensing technologies.

Main Results:

Emerging strategies enable more maneuverable cell surface labeling.
Visualization of diverse cell surface structures and dynamics is improving.
Accurate monitoring of the cell surface microenvironment is becoming feasible.

Conclusions:

Cell surface studies are entering a new era focused on artificial manipulation.
Novel labeling strategies are crucial for advancing imaging, sensing, and biomedical applications.
Continued research is vital for unlocking the full potential of cell surface-based studies.