Topic: cAMP

cAMP is a ubiquitous second messenger and plays a central role in the regulation of gene expression and synaptic transmission. While calcium imaging is a well-established technique with a variety of different chemical and genetically encoded sensors, cAMP sensors have been lacking until recently and hence cAMP signaling is not well studied in astrocytes so far. Flamindo2 from Odaka et al. (PLOS One 9:6, 2014) is a genetically encoded cAMP sensor, which fluorescence intensity decreases in response to increased cAMP levels. In this study we investigated noradrenergic cAMP signaling in astrocytes

The cyclic nucleotides (cNs) cAMP and cGMP are involved in the cellular mechanisms underlying long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory. Because a decrease of cNs is observed in aging and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD), drugs restoring cNs levels, such as PDE inhibitors (PDE-Is), have been proposed as potential therapeutic strategies. Previous studies showed a crosstalk between cNs and amyloid-beta (Aβ), a peptide extensively known for its pathological role in AD but also implicated in the physiological processes of synaptic plasticity and memory.Based on these f

Depressive disorders are the leading cause of the neuropsychiatric disparity, and the lack of understanding of the causes and treatment of these disorders progresses toward therapeutic failure. Current treatment approaches only provide symptomatic relief but fail to cure the underlying pathophysiology. The present study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effect of escitalopram (ESC) and galantamine (GAL) combination in vivo on a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression in mice and further explored its mechanism of action around cAMP, BDNF-related neurotrophic signaling,

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a ubiquitous second messenger that, when raised by forskolin, induces long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission and expression of immediate early genes such as FOS by activating the postsynaptic PKA-CREB pathway. However, most studies have relied on pharmacological tools whose actions are not confined to specific cells or synaptic compartments. Here, we use photoactivatable adenylyl cyclases to raise cAMP in single postsynaptic hippocampal CA1 neurons, in many presynaptic CA3 or postsynaptic CA1 neurons or in all excitatory neurons to invest

Fiber photometry is a technique of growing popularity in neuroscience research. It is widely used to infer brain activity by recording calcium dynamics in genetically defined populations of neurons. Aside from the wide variety of calcium indicators, other genetically encoded biosensors have recently been engineered to measure membrane potential, neurotransmitter release, pH, or various cellular metabolites, such as ATP or cAMP. Due to the spectral characteristics of these tools, different assemblies of optical hardware are usually needed to reveal the full potential of various biosensors. In a

Astrocytes are glial cells that participate in crucial processes in brain homeostasis and play a key role in modulating neuronal activity. Numerous astrocytic receptors transduce signals via cAMP although how changes in astrocytic cAMP levels modulate brain activity or animal behaviour is not fully understood. Our goal is to control cAMP in cortical astrocytes using DdPAC, a recently developed phytochrome photoreceptor that increases cAMP upon red light, and evaluate its responses at three levels: a) cellular, by analysing neuronal activity using multi-electrode arrays b) systemic, by measurin

The primary cilium, a microtubule-based organelle that extends into the extracellular space, plays a crucial role in signal transduction. It acts as an 'antenna' for signal conversion through different pathways, containing various types of proteins, such as G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Notably, it is involved in the regulation of glucose homeostasis, a vital process for cellular function and energy balance, which includes glucose detection associated with both metabolic (GLUTs and glucokinase) and independent mechanisms. Sweet taste receptors (STR), which are GPCRs composed of subunits