Calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway

The Calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway. Calcineurin is a calcium-dependent serine-threonine phosphatase. Calcineurin has a catalytic subunit “A” and a regulatory subunit “B”. Both of these subunits are indispensible for calcineurin activity. The activity of calcineurin can be inhibited by a number of intrinsic and pharmacological inhibitors, such as Cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506. The increase in cytoplasmic calcium level can be triggered by many factors, including the activation of a diverse set of cell surface receptors, ion channels and even gap junctions. Intracellular calcium increase leads to the activation of calcineurin. Activated calcineurin dephosphorylates its substrates, including the NFATc transcription factors. The dephosphorylated NFATc proteins translocate from the cytoplasm to the nucleus to regulate the transcription of their target genes. The regulation of transcription by NFATc proteins requires nuclear partners (NFATn). These nuclear partners can be different for different target genes and in different cells. These nuclear partners are usually activated by a different set of receptors on the cell surface.

Publication

Plumbing the depths of urinary tract obstruction by using murine models. (2009) Feng Chen. Organogenesis. 2009 Jan-Mar;5(1):297-305. Figure: F1. All organisms Drosophila melanogaster Danio rerio Homo sapiens

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