Functional Roles of Protein Kinase A (PKA) and Exchange Protein Directly Activated by 3′,5′-Cyclic Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate (cAMP) 2 (EPAC2) in cAMP-Mediated Actions in Adrenocortical Cells

In the adrenal cortex, the biosynthesis of steroid hormones is controlled by the pituitary-derived hormone ACTH. The functions of ACTH are principally relayed by activating cAMP-dependent signaling pathways leading to the induction of genes encoding enzymes involved in the conversion of cholesterol to steroid hormones. Previously, protein kinase A (PKA) was thought to be the only direct effector of cAMP. However, the discovery of the cAMP sensors, exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (EPAC1 and 2), has led to a reevaluation of this assumption. In the present study, we demonstrate the occurrence of the EPAC2 splicing variant EPAC2B in adrenocortical cancer cells. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that EPAC2B is localized predominantly in the nucleus. EPAC2B is functional because it activates Rap1 in these cells. Using the cAMP analogs 8-p-chlorophenylthio-2′-O-methyl-cAMP and N6-benzoyl-cAMP, which specifically activate EPAC1/2 and PKA, respectively, we evaluated the contribution of these factors in...