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Monitoring Kinase and Phosphatase Activities Through the Cell Cycle by Ratiometric FRET
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NFAT signaling: choreographing the social lives of cells

Gerald R Crabtree1, Eric N Olson

  • 1Department of Developmental Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. crabtree@cmgm.stanford.edu

Cell
|May 2, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Calcium signaling regulates NFATc protein activity by controlling their nuclear import, which is opposed by kinases like GSK3. This pathway is crucial for cell-cell interactions during development.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cellular Signaling
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Calcium signaling is a fundamental cellular process.
  • Nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) proteins are key transcription factors.
  • The regulation of NFAT nuclear import influences gene expression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of NFATc protein nuclear import.
  • To understand the role of calcineurin and GSK3 in NFAT signaling.
  • To investigate the implication of NFAT signaling in developmental cell-cell interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated calcium signaling pathways.
  • Studied the activity of calcineurin phosphatase.
  • Analyzed the nuclear translocation of NFATc proteins.
  • Examined the opposing role of kinases such as GSK3.

Main Results:

  • Calcium signaling activates calcineurin, promoting NFATc nuclear import.
  • Kinases like GSK3 oppose NFATc nuclear import, ensuring dynamic transcriptional response.
  • Disruptions in NFAT signaling genes suggest a role in developmental cell-cell interactions.

Conclusions:

  • NFAT signaling provides a responsive transcriptional control mechanism.
  • The pathway is implicated as a regulator of developmental cell-cell interactions.
  • Understanding NFAT regulation is vital for developmental biology.

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