The 41 Cellular Pathways
A reference of 41 core molecular and signaling pathways, organized by biological function. It maps the biology our condition→pathway→blend graph sits on top of: where a pathway is one our formulas are built to support, it links straight into the recommender; the remainder are here so the science is complete and verifiable rather than asking you to take anything on trust.
Transmits extracellular growth-factor signals from receptor tyrosine kinases through RAS and the RAF–MEK–ERK cascade to control proliferation, differentiation, and survival.
Key components — EGFR, ERBB2/3/4, FGFR1-4, MET, ALK, RET, KIT, PDGFRA, KRAS/HRAS/NRAS, BRAF, RAF1, MAP2K1, ERK, NF1, SOS1, PTPN11
↗︎ Open in the recommender (related pathway)Couples receptor and nutrient signals to cell growth, survival, protein synthesis, and metabolism via PIP3, AKT, and the mTOR nutrient-sensing hub.
Key components — PIK3CA, PIK3R1, PTEN, AKT1/2/3, MTOR, TSC1/2, RHEB, RICTOR, STK11
↗︎ Open in the recommenderRelays cytokine and growth-factor receptor signals directly to the nucleus through JAK kinases and STAT transcription factors.
Key components — JAK1/2/3, TYK2, STAT3/5, SOCS
↗︎ Open in the recommenderMorphogen pathway controlling embryonic tissue patterning and adult stem/progenitor maintenance; ligand binding to PTCH1 de-represses SMO and activates GLI transcription factors.
Key components — SHH/IHH/DHH, PTCH1, SMO, SUFU, GLI1/2/3
↗︎ Open in the recommenderJuxtacrine cell–cell signaling that governs binary cell-fate decisions and differentiation through regulated intramembrane cleavage of the receptor.
Key components — NOTCH1-4, DLL/JAG ligands, RBPJ, MAML, FBXW7, NCSTN
↗︎ Open in the recommenderDevelopmental pathway controlling cell fate, polarity, and stem-cell self-renewal; stabilized β-catenin activates TCF/LEF target transcription.
Key components — WNT ligands, FZD, LRP5/6, APC, AXIN1/2, CTNNB1, GSK3B, TCF7L2
↗︎ Open in the recommenderOrgan-size and contact-inhibition pathway in which an MST–LATS kinase cascade restrains the YAP/TAZ transcriptional co-activators.
Key components — STK3/4 (MST1/2), LATS1/2, SAV1, MOB1, NF2, YAP1, WWTR1/TAZ, TEAD1-4, FAT1-4
Regulates growth inhibition, differentiation, extracellular-matrix production, and immune modulation through SMAD transcription factors.
Key components — TGFB1-3, TGFBR1/2, SMAD2/3/4
↗︎ Open in the recommenderMaster regulator of inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, and cell survival, activated through the IKK complex by diverse stimuli.
Key components — NFKB1/2, RELA/B, REL, IKBKB, NFKBIA, TNFAIP3
↗︎ Open in the recommenderOxygen-sensing pathway; at low oxygen the HIF-α subunits are stabilized and induce angiogenic and metabolic adaptation genes.
Key components — HIF1A, EPAS1 (HIF2α), ARNT, VHL, EGLN/PHD
↗︎ Open in the recommenderLigand-activated nuclear receptor that drives estrogen-responsive gene transcription in reproductive and many non-reproductive tissues.
Key components — ESR1 (ERα), ESR2 (ERβ), coactivators
↗︎ Open in the recommenderLigand-activated nuclear receptor mediating androgen-responsive gene expression and male tissue development.
Key components — AR, coregulators
↗︎ Open in the recommender (related pathway)Governs the restriction-point commitment to DNA replication; cyclin–CDK complexes phosphorylate RB to release E2F transcription factors.
Key components — CCND1, CDK4/6, CCNE1, RB1, E2F, CDKN2A/B (p16/p15), CDKN1A/B (p21/p27)
↗︎ Open in the recommenderCentral stress-response hub that triggers cell-cycle arrest, senescence, DNA repair, or apoptosis in response to DNA damage and cellular stress.
Key components — TP53, MDM2, MDM4, ATM, CDKN2A/ARF
↗︎ Open in the recommenderProgrammed cell death executed through the mitochondrial (BCL-2 family / caspase-9) and death-receptor (caspase-8) routes.
Key components — BCL2, BCL2L1, MCL1, BAX, BAK1, BID, BIM, PUMA, NOXA, CASP3/8/9, FAS, APAF1, cytochrome c
↗︎ Open in the recommenderLysosomal self-degradation pathway that recycles proteins and organelles during stress and nutrient deprivation.
Key components — BECN1, ATG family, MAP1LC3, SQSTM1/p62, ULK1, mTOR
↗︎ Open in the recommenderMaster transcriptional regulator of antioxidant and detoxification genes; KEAP1 targets NRF2 for degradation until oxidative stress stabilizes it.
Key components — NFE2L2 (NRF2), KEAP1, CUL3, antioxidant-response-element genes
↗︎ Open in the recommenderIron-dependent form of regulated cell death driven by accumulation of lipid peroxides, restrained by the GPX4 / system xc− axis.
Key components — GPX4, SLC7A11 (system xc−), FSP1 (AIFM2), glutathione; ACSL4 drives the lipid peroxidation these restrain
↗︎ Open in the recommenderCorrects base–base mispairs and small insertion/deletion loops that arise during DNA replication.
Key components — MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2; EPCAM is a related locus, not a repair enzyme — its 3′ deletions silence MSH2 in cis
High-fidelity repair of DNA double-strand breaks using a homologous template.
Key components — BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51, ATM
Removes small, non-helix-distorting base lesions arising from oxidation, alkylation, or deamination.
Key components — OGG1, MUTYH, APEX1, POLB, XRCC1, PARP1
Removes bulky, helix-distorting DNA lesions such as UV-induced photoproducts.
Key components — XPA, XPC, XPB (ERCC3), XPD (ERCC2), XPF–ERCC1 (ERCC4), XPG (ERCC5), DDB1/2
Directly religates double-strand break ends without a homologous template.
Key components — PRKDC (DNA-PKcs), XRCC6/5 (KU70/80), LIG4, XRCC4
Coordinates recognition and resolution of DNA interstrand crosslinks.
Key components — FANCA–FANCW family
Enzymatically reverses O6-alkylguanine DNA adducts in a single-step, template-free reaction.
Key components — MGMT
Sense DNA damage and replication stress and enforce cell-cycle checkpoints to allow repair.
Key components — ATM, ATR, CHEK1, CHEK2, WEE1, DNA-PK
Maintains protective chromosome-end length; telomerase adds telomeric repeats, with an alternative recombination-based route.
Key components — TERT, TERC, shelterin, ATRX, DAXX
↗︎ Open in the recommenderCytoplasmic breakdown of glucose to pyruvate/lactate, supplying ATP and biosynthetic intermediates.
Key components — GLUT1 (SLC2A1), HK2, PFK, PKM2, LDHA
↗︎ Open in the recommenderConversion of glutamine into TCA-cycle intermediates for energy production and biosynthesis.
Key components — GLS, GLS2, SLC1A5, GLUD1
Generates one-carbon units used in nucleotide synthesis, methylation reactions, and redox balance.
Key components — PHGDH, PSAT1, SHMT1/2, MTHFD1/2
↗︎ Open in the recommenderSynthesizes fatty acids and complex lipids for membranes and signaling molecules.
Key components — FASN, ACLY, ACACA (ACC), SCD1, SREBF1 (SREBP)
↗︎ Open in the recommenderCentral carbon metabolism whose intermediates (α-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate) also regulate the dioxygenase enzymes that control DNA and histone modification.
Key components — IDH1/2, SDHA-D, FH, α-ketoglutarate
Mitochondrial electron transport coupled to ATP synthesis.
Key components — Electron-transport-chain complexes I–V, PGC1α (PPARGC1A)
↗︎ Open in the recommender (related pathway)Master transcription-factor program driving ribosome biogenesis, metabolism, and cell growth.
Key components — MYC, MYCN, MYCL, MAX, MGA, MNT
↗︎ Open in the recommenderDeposits the repressive H3K27me3 histone mark to silence developmental and lineage-specifying genes.
Key components — EZH2, EED, SUZ12, RBBP4
ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex that controls nucleosome positioning and transcriptional accessibility.
Key components — ARID1A/B, SMARCA4 (BRG1), SMARCB1 (SNF5), PBRM1
Establishes and removes DNA cytosine methylation, shaping the methylome and gene-expression programs.
Key components — DNMT1, DNMT3A/B, TET1/2/3
↗︎ Open in the recommenderDevelopmental and morphogenetic program (embryogenesis, wound healing, fibrosis) in which epithelial cells acquire migratory mesenchymal characteristics.
Key components — SNAI1/2 (Snail/Slug), TWIST1, ZEB1/2, CDH1 (E-cadherin), CDH2 (N-cadherin)
↗︎ Open in the recommenderTransmits cell–extracellular-matrix attachment signals controlling adhesion, migration, and survival.
Key components — ITGA/ITGB integrins, PTK2 (FAK), SRC
Drives the growth of new blood vessels during development, exercise, and tissue repair.
Key components — VEGFA, VEGFR1-3 (FLT1, KDR, FLT4), FGF2, ANGPT1/2–TIE2, THBS1
↗︎ Open in the recommenderCo-inhibitory receptor pathways that restrain T-cell activation to maintain self-tolerance and prevent excessive immune responses.
Key components — PDCD1 (PD-1), CD274 (PD-L1), CTLA4, LAG3, TIGIT
Pathway set and molecular components compiled from standard human cell-signaling, DNA-repair, metabolism, and cancer-genomics references (e.g. the curated oncogenic-signaling and DNA-repair pathway collections used in large-scale tumor-genomics atlases, and the KEGG / Reactome canonical pathway databases). Component lists are representative, not exhaustive. Educational reference only — not medical advice, and not a statement that any product on this site modulates these pathways except where explicitly linked into the recommender with its own cited evidence. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.