Cyclic AMP receptors explained

Cyclic AMP receptors from slime molds are a distinct family of G-protein coupled receptors. These receptors control development inDictyostelium discoideum.

In D. discoideum, the cyclic AMP receptors coordinate aggregation of individual cells into a multicellular organism, and regulate the expression of a large number of developmentally-regulated genes.^{[1] [2] [3]} The amino acid sequences of the receptors contain high proportions of hydrophobic residues grouped into 7 domains, in a manner reminiscent of the rhodopsins and other receptors believed to interact with G-proteins. However, while a similar 3D framework has been proposed to account for this, there is no significant sequence similarity between these families: the cAMP receptors thus bear their own unique '7TM' signature.

See also

• cAMP receptor protein

Notes and References

1. Devreotes PN, Kimmel AR, Johnson RL, Klein PS, Sun TJ, Saxe III CL . A chemoattractant receptor controls development in Dictyostelium discoideum . Science . 241 . 4872 . 1467–1472 . 1988 . 3047871 . 10.1126/science.3047871. 1988Sci...241.1467K .
2. Ginsburg GT, Louis JM, Johnson R, Devreotes PN, Kimmel AR, Saxe III CL . CAR2, a prestalk cAMP receptor required for normal tip formation and late development of Dictyostelium discoideum . Genes Dev. . 7 . 2 . 262–272 . 1993 . 8436297 . 10.1101/gad.7.2.262. free .
3. Devreotes PN, Kimmel AR, Johnson RL, Gollop R, Saxe III CL . Identification and targeted gene disruption of cAR3, a cAMP receptor subtype expressed during multicellular stages of Dictyostelium development . Genes Dev. . 7 . 2 . 273–282 . 1993 . 8382181 . 10.1101/gad.7.2.273. free .