title: Control of cAMP-induced gene expression by divergent signal transduction pathways.
abstract: A compilation of literature data and recent experiments led to the following conclusions regarding cyclic adenosine 3':5' monophosphate (cAMP) regulation of gene expression. Several classes of cAMP-induced gene expression can be discriminated by sensitivity to stimulation kinetics. The aggregation-related genes respond only to nanomolar cAMP pulses. The prestalk-related genes respond both to nanomolar pulses and persistent micromolar stimulation. The prespore specific genes respond only to persistent micromolar stimulation. The induction of the aggregation- and prestalk-related genes by nanomolar cAMP pulses may share a common transduction pathway, which does not involve cAMP, while involvement of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)/Ca2+ pathway is unlikely. Induction of the expression of prespore and prestalk-related genes by micromolar cAMP stimuli utilizes divergent signal processing mechanisms. cAMP-induced prespore gene expression does not involve cAMP and probably also not cyclic guanosine 3'.5' monophosphate (cGMP) as intracellular intermediate. Involvement of cAMP-induced phospholipase C (PLC) activation in this pathway is suggested by the observation that IP3 and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) can induce prespore gene expression, albeit in a somewhat indirect manner and by the observation that Li+ and Ca2+ antagonists inhibit prespore gene expression. Cyclic AMP induction of prestalk-related gene expression is inhibited by IP3 and DAG and promoted by Li+, and is relatively insensitive to Ca2+ antagonists, which indicates that PLC activation does not mediate prestalk-related gene expression. Neither prespore nor prestalk-related gene expression utilizes the sustained cAMP-induced pHi increase as intracellular intermediate.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology and Genetics Unit, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cammans
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Spek
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: van Lookeren Campagne
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schaap
mesh_terms: D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology*; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000235:genetics*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000242:Cyclic AMP