CREM and the transcriptional response to cyclic AMP

Abstract

In eukaryotes a family of cyclic AMP-responsive nuclear factors mediate transcriptional regulation upon stimulation of the adenylate cyclase signaling pathway. These factors contain the basic domain/leucine zipper motifs, bind as dimers to cyclic AMP-response elements, and may act as activators or repressors. Among them the cyclic AMP response element modulator products play a key role in the nuclear response to cyclic AMP. The inducible cyclic AMP early repressor protein is the only inducible member of this family. The induction of this powerful repressor is likely to be important for the transient nature of cyclic AMP-induced gene expression. The cyclic AMP-response element binding proteins have been found to play an important role in the physiology of the pituitary gland, in regulating spermatogenesis, in the response to circa-dian rhythms, and in the molecular basis of memory.