cGMP Flashcards
What is cGMP derived from?
GTP
How are most of cGMP’s effects mediated?
Through PKG
cAMP can signal via Epacs. Does cGMP have an equivalent?
No
Which enzyme synthesises cGMP?
Guanylyl Cyclase
Guanylyl Cyclases are regulated by a diverse range of agonists. Give some examples.
- peptide hormones
- bacterial toxins
- free radicals (eg NO)
…also regulated indirectly by intracellular calcium
GCs and cGMP-mediated signalling cascades play a central role in the regulation of a diverse range of physiological processes. Give 3 examples.
- vascular smooth muscle contractility
- intestinal fluid and electrolyte homeostasis
- phototransduction
What are the two main families of Guanylyl Cyclases?
- Particulate GCs (membrane bound)
2. Soluble GCs (cytosolic/ NO-sensitive)
Both GC families are ubiquitous. What does this mean?
They are found in (almost) every cell type
Membrane bound (particulate) guanylyl cyclases exist in how many isoforms in mammals?
seven
How many isoforms of pGC are there? How are they denoted?
- GC-A to GC-G
What does pCG stand for?
Particulate guanylyl cyclase
pGCs exhibit a highly conserved domain structure. Give 4 features.
- Extracellular binding domain at N-term
- Single TM domain
- Regulatory subunit with significant homology to protein kinases
- C-term catalytic domain
Where is the catalytic domain located in pGCs?
In the C-teminus
How do pGCs become catalytically active?
Dimerisation
How does the catalytic domain of pGCs compare to that of ACs?
Structurally and functionally homologous
Based on ligand specificities, pGCs have been classified into three classes. What are these?
- Natriuretic peptide receptors
- Intestinal peptide-binding receptors
- Orphan receptors
Which class do pGC-A and pGC-B fall into?
The class of Natriuretic peptide receptors
Which pGCs are in the natriuretic peptide receptor class? What are they activated by?
GC-A and GC-B
They are activated by ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) and BNP (brain natriuretic peptide)
Which pGC falls into the Intestinal Peptide-Binding Receptors class? What is it activated by?
GC-C
Activated by guanylin, uroguanylin
Which class of receptors do the pGC-C, -D, -E, -F, and -G fall into?
Orphan receptors
What is the structure of soluble GCs? (sGCs)
They are heteroDIMERIC proteins consisting of one alpha and one beta subunit
How many isoforms of sGC exist?
Multiple: 3 alpha subunit isoforms and 3 beta subunit isoforms
What do the alpha and beta subunits of GC consist of?
N-term regulatory domain (contains heme binding and dimerisation region)
C-term catalytic domain
Which domain of sGCs contains the heme binding and dimerisation regions?
N-term domain (regulatory)
Where are sGCs expressed?
In the cytoplasm of almost all mammalian cells
sGCs mediate a wide range of physiological functions. Give 4 examples.
- inhibition of platelet aggregation
- relaxation of smooth muscle
- neuronal signal transduction
- immunomodulation
Which group is required by sGCs in order to be activated by NO?
Heme
Where does Heme bind on sGC?
To the regulatory N-terminal domain
Which two things are sGCs activated by? Which is more potent.
- Nitric oxide (NO), a free radical
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
NO IS FAR MORE POTENT
How does NO activate sGCs?
By binding directly to the heme group
Give an example of a receptor associated with both PKA and PKG (in different cell types)
IP3
Which enzyme mediates the majority of the cellular effects of cGMP?
PKG (serine/threonine kinase)
How many classes of PKG exist?
2
How do Type I and Type II PKGs differ in expression?
Type I expressed in many cell types
Type II less common and only expressed in INTESTINE, KIDNEY, BRAIN
Type I PKGs are expressed in many cell types. Type II PKGs, however, are only expressed in 3 organs. What are these?
Intestine
Kidney
Brain
How many isoforms of Type I PKG exist?
2 (Type I-alpha, and Type I-beta)
Type I PKGs exist as homodimers. Which 3 domains does each subunit contain?
- a dimerisation domain
- 2 x cGMP-binding domains
- an autophosphorylation-autoinhibitory domain
Where in the cell are Type I PKGs located?
In the soluble fraction
Type I PKGs are homodimeric. What are Type II PKGs?
Monomeric kinases
What is the structure of Type II PKGs?
- catalytic domain at C-terminal
- 2 x cGMP-binding domains at N-terminal
- generally membrane-bound
Where in the cell are Type II PKGs usually found?
Bound to the membrane
Give 4 examples of proteins regulated by PKGs
- IP3 receptor
- IRAG
- Calcium-activated maxi K+ channel
- PP1M (the myosin light chain phosphatase)
How does PKG regulate the IP3 receptor?
Causes calcium release from internal stores
What is the result of PKG regulation of IRAG?
Inhibits calcium release from internal stores
What does IRAG stand for?
IP3-Receptor Associated cGMP kinase substrate
PKG has not been found to regulate transcription factors. What is the proposed reason for this?
Too large to enter the nucleus
Whilst PKG is too large to enter the nucleus and interact with transcription factors, it is able to affect gene transcription indirectly. How?
By phosphorylating cytoplasmic proteins
In addition to PKG, give two other effectors of cGMP
CNG channels
Phosphodiesterases
CNG channels can be activated by different cyclic nucletide to regulate 1) visual transduction and 2) olfaction. Which cyclic nucleotide is each CNG isotope more sensitive to?
1) visual transduction - cGMP
2) olfaction - cAMP