[The role of cAMP in regulating cell ensembles]

Recent studies on the mechanisms of cell regulation have demonstrated that the reactions occurring with participation of secondary messengers, i.e., cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP), Ca2+, 2',5'-oligoadenylate (oligoA), etc., are closely interrelated and the secondary messengers involved therein can thus be regarded as components of the integral regulatory system of the cell. The interaction between these components occurs via at least two pathways. Firstly, some reactions, that are vital for the cell, are under a simultaneous control of several messengers. Secondly, any changes in the intracellular level of one of the messengers inevitably affects the concentrations of other messengers.