GUANYLYL CYCLASES - APPROACHING YEAR-30

Since its discovery in 1963, cyclic GMP (cGMP) has been shown to be a ubiquitous second messenger. The enzymes that catalyze the formation o f cGMP from GTP, guanylyl cyclases, exist in soluble and particulate i soforms. An explosion in the number of known isoforms, gene disruption , identification of new inhibitors and activators and finally the reso lution of the structure of adenylyl cyclases have all provided importa nt clues about the structure and function of guanylyl cyclases. This a rticle gives a brief review of the recent developments in the field of guanylyl cyclase research.