scholarly journals A Membrane Permeable Prodrug of S223 for Selective Epac2 Activation in Living Cells

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunjian Xu ◽  
Frank Schwede ◽  
Hans Wienk ◽  
Anders Tengholm ◽  
Holger Rehmann

Signalling by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) occurs via various effector proteins, notably protein kinase A and the guanine nucleotide exchange factors Epac1 and Epac2. These proteins are activated by cAMP binding to conserved cyclic nucleotide binding domains. The specific roles of the effector proteins in various processes in different types of cells are still not well defined, but investigations have been facilitated by the development of cyclic nucleotide analogues with distinct selectivity profiles towards a single effector protein. A remaining challenge in the development of such analogues is the poor membrane permeability of nucleotides, which limits their applicability in intact living cells. Here, we report the synthesis and characterisation of S223-AM, a cAMP analogue designed as an acetoxymethyl ester prodrug to overcome limitations of permeability. Using total internal reflection imaging with various fluorescent reporters, we show that S223-AM selectively activates Epac2, but not Epac1 or protein kinase A, in intact insulin-secreting β-cells, and that this effect was associated with pronounced activation of the small G-protein Rap. A comparison of the effects of different cAMP analogues in pancreatic islet cells deficient in Epac1 and Epac2 demonstrates that cAMP-dependent Rap activity at the β-cell plasma membrane is exclusively dependent on Epac2. With its excellent selectivity and permeability properties, S223-AM should get broad utility in investigations of cAMP effector involvement in many different types of cells.

Physiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viacheslav O. Nikolaev ◽  
Martin J. Lohse

cAMP is an important second messenger with a plethora of cellular effects and biological roles. To monitor and visualize cAMP in intact living cells, electrophysiological and fluorescent methods have been developed based on activation of all three types of cAMP effectors: protein kinase A, cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, and exchange protein directly activated by cAMP. In this review, we describe and compare these techniques in terms of their robustness, sensitivity and spatio-temporal resolution.


2007 ◽  
Vol 176 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianzhong Han ◽  
Liang Han ◽  
Priyanka Tiwari ◽  
Zhexing Wen ◽  
James Q. Zheng

The second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) plays a pivotal role in axonal growth and guidance, but its downstream mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we report that type II protein kinase A (PKA) is highly enriched in growth cone filopodia, and this spatial localization enables the coupling of cAMP signaling to its specific effectors to regulate guidance responses. Disrupting the localization of PKA to filopodia impairs cAMP-mediated growth cone attraction and prevents the switching of repulsive responses to attraction by elevated cAMP. Our data further show that PKA targets protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) through the phosphorylation of a regulatory protein inhibitor-1 (I-1) to promote growth cone attraction. Finally, we find that I-1 and PP1 mediate growth cone repulsion induced by myelin-associated glycoprotein. These findings demonstrate that the spatial localization of type II PKA to growth cone filopodia plays an important role in the regulation of growth cone motility and guidance by cAMP.


2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 2231-2246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arturo E. Gonzalez-Iglesias ◽  
Yonghua Jiang ◽  
Melanija Tomić ◽  
Karla Kretschmannova ◽  
Silvana A. Andric ◽  
...  

Abstract Pituitary lactotrophs in vitro fire extracellular Ca2+-dependent action potentials spontaneously through still unidentified pacemaking channels, and the associated voltage-gated Ca2+ influx (VGCI) is sufficient to maintain basal prolactin (PRL) secretion high and steady. Numerous plasma membrane channels have been characterized in these cells, but the mechanism underlying their pacemaking activity is still not known. Here we studied the relevance of cyclic nucleotide signaling pathways in control of pacemaking, VGCI, and PRL release. In mixed anterior pituitary cells, both VGCI-inhibitable and -insensitive adenylyl cyclase (AC) subtypes contributed to the basal cAMP production, and soluble guanylyl cyclase was exclusively responsible for basal cGMP production. Inhibition of basal AC activity, but not soluble guanylyl cyclase activity, reduced PRL release. In contrast, forskolin stimulated cAMP and cGMP production as well as pacemaking, VGCI, and PRL secretion. Elevation in cAMP and cGMP levels by inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity was also accompanied with increased PRL release. The AC inhibitors attenuated forskolin-stimulated cyclic nucleotide production, VGCI, and PRL release. The cell-permeable 8-bromo-cAMP stimulated firing of action potentials and PRL release and rescued hormone secretion in cells with inhibited ACs in an extracellular Ca2+-dependent manner, whereas 8-bromo-cGMP and 8-(4-chlorophenyltio)-2′-O-methyl-cAMP were ineffective. Protein kinase A inhibitors did not stop spontaneous and forskolin-stimulated pacemaking, VGCI, and PRL release. These results indicate that cAMP facilitates pacemaking, VGCI, and PRL release in lactotrophs predominantly in a protein kinase A- and Epac cAMP receptor-independent manner.


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