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Real-time monitoring of cyclic nucleotide signaling in neurons using genetically encoded FRET probes

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Brain Cell Biology

Abstract

Signaling cascades involving cyclic nucleotides play key roles in signal transduction in virtually all cell types. Elucidation of the spatiotemporal regulation of cyclic nucleotide signaling requires methods for tracking the dynamics of cyclic nucleotides and the activities of their regulators and effectors in the native biological context. Here we review a series of genetically encoded FRET-based probes for real-time monitoring of cyclic nucleotide signaling with a particular focus on their implementation in neurons. Current data indicate that neurons have a very active metabolism in cyclic nucleotide signaling, which is tightly regulated through a variety of homeostatic regulations.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Professor Ron Harris-Warrick for critically reading this manuscript. This work was supported by CNRS, UPMC, “Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale” and “Fondation pour la Recherche sur le Cerveau” (to P. V.); and by NIH (DK073368 and CA122673), the American Heart Association, the Young Clinical Scientist Award Program of the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute, and 3M (to J. Z.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS UMR 7102 Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs, Paris, 9 Quai St Bernard, 75005, Paris, France

    Pierre Vincent & Nicolas Gervasi

  2. UPMC Univ Paris 6, UMR 7102 Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs, Paris, 9 Quai St Bernard, 75005, Paris, France

    Pierre Vincent & Nicolas Gervasi

  3. Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Jin Zhang

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  1. Pierre Vincent
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Correspondence to Jin Zhang.

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Vincent, P., Gervasi, N. & Zhang, J. Real-time monitoring of cyclic nucleotide signaling in neurons using genetically encoded FRET probes. Brain Cell Bio 36, 3–17 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11068-008-9035-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11068-008-9035-6

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