Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

G-protein Coupled Receptors

G-protein Coupled Receptors

G-protein coupled receptors are ligand binding receptors that indirectly affect changes in the cell. The actual receptor is a single polypeptide that transverses the cell membrane seven times creating intracellular and extracellular loops. The extracellular loops create a ligand specific pocket which binds to neurotransmitters or hormones. The intracellular loops holds onto the G-protein.

Global Regulatory Systems

Global Regulatory Systems

Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...

cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways

cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways

Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) is an essential second messenger that activates protein kinase A (PKA) and regulates various biological processes. A single epinephrine molecule binds to GPCR and activates several heterotrimeric G proteins, each stimulating multiple adenylyl cyclase, amplifying the signal, and synthesizing large numbers of cAMP molecules. Small changes in cAMP concentration affect PKA activity. The binding of four cAMP molecules induces a conformational change in PKA,...

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...

Intracellular Signaling Cascades

Intracellular Signaling Cascades

Once a ligand binds to a receptor, the signal is transmitted through the membrane and into the cytoplasm. The continuation of a signal in this manner is called signal transduction. Signal transduction only occurs with cell-surface receptors, which cannot interact with most components of the cell, such as DNA. Only internal receptors can interact directly with DNA in the nucleus to initiate protein synthesis. When a ligand binds to its receptor, conformational changes occur that affect the...

GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

Some GPCRs transmit signals through adenylyl cyclase (AC), a transmembrane enzyme. AC helps synthesize second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). AC catalyzes cyclization reaction and converts ATP to cAMP by releasing a pyrophosphate. The pyrophosphate is further hydrolyzed to phosphate by the enzyme pyrophosphatase, which drives cAMP synthesis to completion. However, cAMP is rapidly degraded to 5′ AMP by the enzymes phosphodiesterase (PDE), preventing overstimulation of cells.
Two...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Efficacy of a Stepped-Care Approach for Adolescents and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An Adaptive Intervention Study Including Randomized Controlled Trials (ESCAlate).

Psychotherapy and psychosomatics·2026

Same author

Mapping DNA Methylation Signatures to Identify Epigenetic Variation Across Subcortical Regions of the Human Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Brain.

Biological psychiatry·2025

Same author

The link between Wnt-related, stress-related, and circadian genes in the dermal fibroblasts of individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996)·2025

Same author

A multi-omic approach implicates novel protein dysregulation in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Genome medicine·2025

Same author

Internal consistency of the Mental Health Professional Culture Inventory: A pilot study in Romanian population.

Translational neuroscience·2024

Same author

The endogenous opioid system in the medial prefrontal cortex mediates ketamine's antidepressant-like actions.

Translational psychiatry·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Real-Time cAMP Dynamics in Live Cells Using the Fluorescent cAMP Difference Detector In Situ

Real-Time cAMP Dynamics in Live Cells Using the Fluorescent cAMP Difference Detector In Situ

Published on: March 22, 2024

Cyclic AMP response element-binding protein and depression.

Johannes Thome¹, Fritz A Henn, Ronald S Duman

¹Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany. thome@zi-mannheim.de

Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics

|October 9, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

New depression treatments may target the cyclic AMP-PKA-CREB pathway. Enhancing this system could improve neural plasticity and alleviate depressive symptoms, offering an alternative to traditional antidepressants.

More Related Videos

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)

Published on: September 23, 2021

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Real-Time cAMP Dynamics in Live Cells Using the Fluorescent cAMP Difference Detector In Situ

Real-Time cAMP Dynamics in Live Cells Using the Fluorescent cAMP Difference Detector In Situ

Published on: March 22, 2024

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)

Published on: September 23, 2021

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model

Published on: June 6, 2025

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Psychiatry
Signal Transduction

Background:

Depression is a common, severe psychiatric disorder with unpredictable treatment responses.
Current antidepressants often increase serotonin and norepinephrine but cause side effects.
Novel therapeutic strategies are needed to address limitations of existing treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore targeting signal transduction and gene expression pathways for novel antidepressant therapies.
To investigate the role of the cyclic AMP (cAMP) second messenger system in depression.
To examine the potential of the cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway as a therapeutic target.

Main Methods:

Reviewing evidence on the cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway's involvement in depression.
Analyzing the mechanism of cAMP-mediated gene expression via CREB phosphorylation.
Assessing the link between CREB activity, neural plasticity, and depression.

Main Results:

The cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway is implicated in the pathophysiology of depression.
Increased activity of the cAMP-PKA-CREB system may enhance neural plasticity.
This enhancement in neural plasticity shows potential for improving depression symptoms.

Conclusions:

Targeting the cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway represents a novel therapeutic avenue for depression.
Modulating this pathway offers a promising alternative to neurotransmitter-focused treatments.
Further research into this system could lead to more effective depression therapies.