cAMP and Ca2+ interplay:: a matter of oscillation patterns

Ca2+ and cAMP signalling pathways are tightly interconnected and the cellular effects mediated by the two second messengers depend strictly on reciprocal modulation. The signalling network that derives from such interplay holds the potential for expanding the information content of the signal enormously and, thus, can contribute substantially to the specificity and diversity of the response. Recent work points to interdependent Ca2+ and cAMP oscillation patterns as a new paradigm for signal transduction.