Endocrine-Related Cancer 16
(3)
773
-793
DOI: 10.1677/ERC-09-0068
Copyright © 2009 by the Society for Endocrinology
Mouse models of altered protein kinase A signaling
Lawrence S Kirschner,
Zhirong Yin,
Georgette N Jones and
Emilia Mahoney
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, and Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University, 420 West 12th Avenue, TMRF 544, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
(Correspondence should be addressed to L S Kirschner; Email: lawrence.kirschner{at}osumc.edu)
Protein kinase A (PKA) is an evolutionarily conserved protein which has been studied in model organisms from yeast to man. Although the cAMP–PKA signaling system was the first mammalian second messenger system to be characterized, many aspects of this pathway are still not well understood. Owing to findings over the past decade implicating PKA signaling in endocrine (and other) tumorigenesis, there has been renewed interest in understanding the role of this pathway in physiology, particularly as it pertains to the endocrine system. Because of the availability of genetic tools, mouse modeling has become the pre-eminent system for studying the physiological role of specific genes and gene families as a means to understanding their relationship to human diseases. In this review, we will summarize the current data regarding mouse models that have targeted the PKA signaling system. These data have led to a better understanding of both the complexity and the subtlety of PKA signaling, and point the way for future studies, which may help to modulate this pathway for therapeutic effect.
Copyright © 2009 by the Society for Endocrinology.