Compartmentation of cyclic nucleotide signaling in the heart: the role of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases.

A current challenge in cellular signaling is to decipher the complex intracellular spatiotemporal organization that any given cell type has developed to discriminate among different external stimuli acting via a common signaling pathway. This obviously applies to cAMP and cGMP signaling in the heart, where these cyclic nucleotides determine the regulation of cardiac function by many hormones and neuromediators. Recent studies have identified cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases as key actors in limiting the spread of cAMP and cGMP, and in shaping and organizing intracellular signaling microdomains. With this new role, phosphodiesterases have been promoted from the rank of a housekeeping attendant to that of an executive officer.