MEMBRANE GUANYLATE-CYCLASE SIGNAL-TRANSDUCTION SYSTEM

The suspect role of the receptor-mediated cyclic GMP signaling pathway was dispelled by the discovery of a membrane guanylate cyclase that w as also an atrial natriuretic factor receptor. It is now established t hat the membrane guanylate cyclase transduction system is linked to th e signaling of natriuretic factors, guanylin/enterotoxin, and emerging evidence suggests that a new neural tissue-specific subfamily of memb rane guanylate cyclases exists whose mechanism of signal transduction is different from those of the other membrane cyclases. This review wi ll briefly discuss the fascinating, albeit turbulent, history of this signal transduction field, which will be followed by its current statu s and finally the direction it is heading.