Phosphodiesterase 4C, cAMP Specific (PDE4C)

Cyclic nucleotides are important second messengers that regulate and mediate a number of cellular responses to extracellular signals, such as hormones, light, and neurotransmitters. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) regulate the cellular concentrations of cyclic nucleotides and thereby play a role in signal transduction. PDE4C is a class IV cAMP-specific PDE.Sullivan et al. (1999) determined that the PDE4C gene spans at least 38 kb and contains at least 18 exons. Comparison of the published human PDE4C cDNA sequences with those of the genomic DNA revealed 4 alternatively spliced exons and suggested that the PDE4C gene has at least 3 alternative promoters.