title: Cross-talk between the autocrine (mitogenic) pheromone loop of the ciliate Euplotes raikovi and the intracellular cyclic AMP concentration.
abstract: Cell type-specific protein signals, called pheromones, are constitutively secreted by Euplotes raikovi and bound back in autocrine fashion, with a positive effect on the vegetative (mitotic) cell growth. In cells growing suspended with their secreted pheromone, it was found that any interruption of this autocrine signaling loop was immediately followed by an effective enhancement of the basal intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) level. To establish a cause-effect relationship between these pheromone-induced variations in the cytoplasmic cAMP level and cell growth, cells ready to pass from a resting stage to a new growth cycle were conditioned either to incorporate a cAMP analog resistant to phosphodiesterase degradation, or to utilize cAMP released (following cell irradiation) from incorporated "caged" cAMP. Cells responded at every induced increase in their basal cAMP level by markedly decreasing their commitment to start a new growth cycle. It was deduced that the autocrine signaling of E. raikovi pheromones involves cAMP as inhibitor of its mitogenic activity.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Molecolare, Cellulare e Animale, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino (MC), Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Apone
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallesi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Di Pretoro
authors.forename: Pierangelo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luporini
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D000588:Amines / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D005576:Colforsin / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D016812:Euplotes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism*; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D010675:Pheromones; D005576:Colforsin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases