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Related Concept Videos

Amplifying Signals via Second Messengers01:15

Amplifying Signals via Second Messengers

Many receptor binding ligands are hydrophilic; they do not cross the cell membrane but bind to cell-surface receptors. Thus, their message must be relayed by second messengers present in the cell cytoplasm. There are several second messenger pathways, each with its own way of relaying information. For example, the G protein-coupled receptors can activate both phosphoinositol and cyclic AMP (cAMP) second messenger pathways. The phosphoinositol pathway is active when the receptor induces...
What are Second Messengers?01:12

What are Second Messengers?

Because many receptor binding ligands are hydrophilic, they do not cross the cell membrane and thus their message must be relayed to a second messenger on the inside. There are several second messenger pathways, each with their own way of relaying information. G-protein coupled receptors can activate both phosphoinositol and cyclic AMP (cAMP) second messenger pathways. The phosphoinositol path is active when the receptor induces phospholipase C to hydrolyze the phospholipid,...
What are Second Messengers?01:12

What are Second Messengers?

Because many receptor binding ligands are hydrophilic, they do not cross the cell membrane and thus their message must be relayed to a second messenger on the inside. There are several second messenger pathways, each with their own way of relaying information. G-protein coupled receptors can activate both phosphoinositol and cyclic AMP (cAMP) second messenger pathways. The phosphoinositol path is active when the receptor induces phospholipase C to hydrolyze the phospholipid,...
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

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 Cascades01:24

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...
Intracellular Signaling Cascades01:24

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Labeling F-actin Barbed Ends with Rhodamine-actin in Permeabilized Neuronal Growth Cones
09:14

Labeling F-actin Barbed Ends with Rhodamine-actin in Permeabilized Neuronal Growth Cones

Published on: March 17, 2011

Spatial and temporal second messenger codes for growth cone turning.

Xavier Nicol1, Kwan Pyo Hong, Nicholas C Spitzer

  • 1Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. xavier.nicol@inserm.fr

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 29, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered how cyclic AMP (cAMP) and calcium signals guide developing neurons. These second messengers control axon pathfinding by generating specific spatial and temporal codes within growth cones.

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Last Updated: May 30, 2026

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09:14

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Published on: March 17, 2011

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07:53

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Neuronal Cell Cultures from Aplysia for High-Resolution Imaging of Growth Cones
16:29

Neuronal Cell Cultures from Aplysia for High-Resolution Imaging of Growth Cones

Published on: February 20, 2008

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Cyclic AMP (cAMP) and calcium are crucial second messengers regulating cellular functions.
  • They play a vital role in neuronal network development and axon pathfinding.
  • The precise signaling codes employed by axon guidance molecules remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of cAMP and calcium transients during Netrin-1-dependent axon guidance.
  • To elucidate the role of Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) receptor activation in generating these second messenger signals.
  • To determine how these signaling events influence axon guidance in vitro and in vivo.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Netrin-1-dependent axon guidance models.
  • Investigated Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) receptor activation in growth cone filopodia and centers.
  • Measured cAMP and calcium transients and their frequencies.
  • Assessed the impact of filopodial cAMP transients on spinal axon guidance and commissural axon pathfinding.

Main Results:

  • Netrin-1-dependent DCC activation in filopodia triggers transient cAMP increases and brief elevations in calcium transient frequency.
  • DCC activation in growth cone centers induces a calcium-dependent cAMP increase and sustained elevation in calcium transient frequency.
  • Filopodial cAMP transients were shown to regulate in vitro spinal axon guidance and in vivo commissural axon pathfinding.

Conclusions:

  • Specific spatial and temporal codes of cAMP and calcium transients are generated in growth cones during Netrin-1-dependent axon guidance.
  • These growth cone signaling codes provide a mechanism for the selective activation of downstream effectors.
  • Understanding these signaling pathways offers insights into neuronal circuit formation and potential therapeutic targets.