adenylate cyclase

[ah-den´ĭ-lāt si´clās]

an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and inorganic pyrophosphate (PP_i ). It is activated by the attachment of a hormone or neurotransmitter to a specific membrane-bound receptor.

a·den·y·late cy·clase

an enzyme acting on ATP to form 3',5'-cyclic AMP plus pyrophosphate, a crucial step in the regulation and formation of second messengers.

Synonym(s): 3', 5'-cyclic AMP synthetase

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adenylate cyclase

(ə-dĕn′əl-ĭt, ăd′n-ĭl′ĭt) also

adenyl cyclase

(ə-dĕn′əl, ăd′n-ĭl)

An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of cyclic AMP from ATP and plays a key role in signal transduction.

Adenylate Cyclase

An enzyme that catalyses ATP to form 3’,5’-cyclic AMP and inorganic pyrophosphate. G proteins dissociate into GTP-bound alpha subunits—activating adenylyl cyclase, retinal phosphodiesterase, phospholipase C, and ion channels—and a complex of beta and gamma subunits, selectively activating certain forms of adenylate cyclase following interaction with the cell receptors. Adenylate cyclase is intimately linked to the receptor-G protein machinery on the cytoplasmic face of cell membrane, which generates the second messenger, cAMP, when stimulated by an extracellular message in the form of receptor binding of a hormone or other ligand, light, or odours. Adenylate cyclase is the prototypic second messenger generator, and is regulated by one or the other arm of the phospholipase C pathway. It is further regulated by cyclic changes in cAMP and internal Ca2+ levels.

a·den·y·late cy·clase

(ă-den'i-lāt sī'klās)

An enzyme acting on ATP to form 3',5'-cyclic AMP plus pyrophosphate. A crucial step in the regulation and formation of second messengers.
Synonym(s): 3', 5'-cyclic AMP synthetase.

adenylate cyclase

The enzyme that converts ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE (ATP) to cyclic AMP.