Crosstalk between cAMP and Ca2+ signaling in non-excitable cells.

An impressive array of cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) signals exert control over a broad range of physiological processes. The specificity and fidelity of these Ca2+ signals is encoded by the frequency, amplitude, and sub-cellular localization of the response. It is believed that the distinct characteristics of Ca2+ signals underlies the differential activation of effectors and ultimately cellular events. This "shaping" of Ca2+ signals can be achieved by the influence of additional signaling pathways modulating the molecular machinery responsible for generating Ca2+ signals. There is a particularly rich source of potential sites of crosstalk between the cAMP and the Ca2+ signaling pathways. This review will focus on the predominant molecular loci at which these classical signaling systems interact to impact the spatio-temporal pattern of Ca2+ signaling in non-excitable cells.