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Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 4, 733–738 (1 September 2003) | doi:10.1038/nrm1197

Epac: a new cAMP target and new avenues in cAMP research

Johannes L. Bos

Five years ago, Epac — a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the Ras-like small GTPases Rap1 and Rap2 — was found to be a new target of cyclic AMP, which opened up new avenues for cAMP research. Structural analysis of the cAMP-binding domains of Epac2 has identified a unifying mechanism for how cAMP activates proteins, and the design and synthesis of an Epac-specific cAMP analogue has paved the way for future discoveries.