Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels （CNGs） are distributed most widely in the neuronal cell. Great progress has been made in molecular mechanisms of CNG channel gating in the recent years. Results of many experiments have indicated that the stoichiometry and assembly of CNG channels affect their property and gating. Experiments of CNG mutants and analyses of cys- teine accessibilities show that cyclic nucleotide-binding domains （CNBD） bind cyclic nucleotides and subsequently conformational changes occurred followed by the concerted or cooperative conformational change of all four subunits during CNG gating. In order to provide theoretical assistances for further investigation on CNG channels, especially regarding the disease pathogenesis of ion channels, this paper reviews the latest progress on mechanisms of CNG channels, functions of subunits, processes of subunit assembly, and conformational changes of subunit regions during gating.
Cyclic nucleotides,cyclic AMP(cAMP)and cyclic GMP(cGMP),as second messages play potential roles in the mammali...
Zhengchao Wang Fangxiong Shi~** Laboratory of Animal Reproduction,College of Animal Science and Technology,Nanjing Agricultural University,Nanjing 210095,China
Cyclic AMP (cAMP), as a second messenger, plays a critical role in cellular signaling transduction. However, it is not clear how this apparently identical cAMP signal induces divergent physiological re- sponses. The potential explanation that cAMP signaling is compartmentalized was proposed by Buxton and Brunton twenty years ago. Compartmentalization of cAMP signaling allows spatially distinct pools of protein kinase A (PKA) to be differently activated. Research on cAMP signaling has regained impetus in many fields of life sciences due to the progress in understanding cAMP signaling complexity and functional diversity. The cAMP/PKA signaling compartments are maintained by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) which bind PKA and other signaling proteins, and by PDEs which hydrolyse cAMP and thus terminate PKA activity. PDE4 enzymes belong to PDE superfamily and stand at a crossroad that allows them to integrate various signaling pathways with that of cAMP in spatially distinct com- partments. In the current review, the nomenclature, taxonomy and gene expression of PDE4, and the system and region of its effect are described. In addition, the idiographic molecules, mechanisms, and regulation models of PDE4 are summarized. Furthermore, the important roles PDE4 plays in the matu- ration of rat granulosa cells and cAMP signaling compartmentalization are discussed.
