title: Bicarbonate stimulated adenylyl cyclases.
abstract: Bicarbonate ion is fundamental to the biology of all living organisms. HCO(3)(-) is vital to such diverse physiological processes as carbon fixation, cellular homeostasis, sperm maturation, and nucleotide synthesis. A defined subset of adenylyl cyclases identified in eukaryotes and prokaryotes are directly activated by HCO(3)(-). As such, cAMP represents the first identified biological effector for fluctuations in intracellular inorganic carbon levels. The identification of a signal transduction pathway activated by HCO(3)(-) has far reaching implications for understanding how the cell responds to fluctuations in this essential anion.
authors.affiliation: School fo Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK m.j.cann@durham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cann
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D002118:Calcium