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Updated: Aug 19, 2025

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Active ERK in the C. elegans Germline
Published on: November 29, 2016
Functional Insights into Protein Kinase A (PKA) Signaling from C. elegans
Fereshteh Sadeghian1, Perla G Castaneda2, Mustafi R Amin2
1Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
Protein kinase A (PKA), which regulates a diverse set of biological functions downstream of cyclic AMP (cAMP), is a tetramer consisting of two catalytic subunits (PKA-C) and two regulatory subunits (PKA-R). When cAMP binds the PKA-R subunits, the PKA-C subunits are released and interact with downstream effectors. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), PKA-C and PKA-R are encoded by kin-1 and kin-2, respectively. This review focuses on the contributions of work in C. elegans to our understanding of the many roles of PKA, including contractility and oocyte maturation in the reproductive system, lipid metabolism, physiology, mitochondrial function and lifespan, and a wide variety of behaviors. C. elegans provides a powerful genetic platform for understanding how this kinase can regulate an astounding variety of physiological responses.
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