Definition
Phosphodiesterases are enzymes that hydrolyze the second messenger cyclic nucleotides cAMP and/or cGMP. Thus, phosphodiesterases influence intracellular signal transduction pathways in various biological systems. There are 11 families of phosphodiesterases, PDE1–PDE11. This classification is based on their subcellular localizations, mechanisms of regulation, and enzymatic properties. Each family consists of multiple splice variants. In total, there are more than 100 specific PDEs. They are specifically distributed over the body and the brain.
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Prickaerts, J. (2010). Phosphodiesterases. In: Stolerman, I.P. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68706-1_1539
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68706-1_1539
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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