title: Photoactivatable adenylyl cyclases (PACs) as a tool to study cAMP signaling in vivo: an overview.
abstract: Photoactivatable adenylyl cyclases (PACs) are proteins that combine the capacity of a photoreceptor with that of an adenylyl cyclase. When ectopically expressed under the control of specific promoters, these naturally occurring proteins become potent transgenic tools that facilitate the increase of cellular cAMP levels by the use of light. Currently, three different PAC transgenes-the euglenoid euPACα and euPACβ, as well as the b eggiatoan bPac-are available. These transgenic tools provide cyclase activity capable of increasing cellular cAMP levels up to a hundredfold with either phasic- or tonic-like kinetic characteristics. Here, we consider the functional features of different cyclases and provide operating guidelines to optimize the use of PACs in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biology/Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 28-30, Berlin, D-14195, Germany.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Efetova
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwärzel
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008027:Light; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases