title: Cyclic (di)nucleotides: the common language shared by microbe and host.
abstract: Fluency in a common language allows individuals to convey information and carry out complex activities that otherwise would be difficult or even impossible without the benefit of shared communication. Cyclic (di)nucleotides have recently been recognized as such an accessible language understood by both microbe and the host, ever since remarkable progresses have revealed the molecular details of these nucleotide second messengers used in cellular communication systems. Though undergoing separate evolutionary pathways in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, cyclic (di)nucleotides enable microbes to influence host cells immediately and fiercely by modulating a variety of cellular activities. Here we highlight recent insights in cyclic (di)nucleotides and focus on the balancing of these indispensable signaling molecules by synthases and phosphodiesterases.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Juyi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Jianli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: jiangzf@pku.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhengfan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009712:Nucleotides, Cyclic / Q000378:metabolism*; D015290:Second Messenger Systems; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D009712:Nucleotides, Cyclic