A-KINASE ANCHORING PROTEINS - A KEY TO SELECTIVE ACTIVATION OF CAMP-RESPONSIVE EVENTS

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) regulates a variety of diverse biochemical events through the phosphorylation of target proteins. Be cause PKA is a multifunctional enzyme with a broad substrate specifici ty, its compartmentalization may be a key regulatory event in controll ing which particular target substrates are phosphorylated. In recent y ears it has been demonstrated that differential localization of the ty pe II holoenzyme is directed through interaction of the regulatory sub unit (RII) with a family of A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs). In th is report, we review evidence for PKA compartmentalization and discuss the structural and functional properties of AKAPs. (Mel Cell Biochem 127/128: 309-319, 1993)