cyclic AMP

American  

[sahy-klik ey-em-pee, sik lik] / ˈsaɪ klɪk ˈeɪˈɛmˈpi, ˈsɪk lɪk /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a cyclic anhydride of adenosine monophosphate formed from adenosine triphosphate by the action of adenylate cyclase: in cellular metabolism, it acts as an intracellular amplifier or second messenger of signals derived from hormones or neurotransmitters.

---

cyclic AMP British  

noun

1. cyclic adenosine monophosphate: a constituent of biological cells, responsible for triggering processes that are dependent on hormones

---

Etymology

Origin of cyclic AMP

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

PDE4B is an enzyme inside cells that breaks down a molecule known as cyclic AMP, which regulates a range of cellular processes.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2024

More recent findings indicate that cyclic AMP may also be involved in the transmission of genetic information and in abnormal cell growth.

From Time Magazine Archive

When cyclic AMP is added to cancerous cells, it returns them to normal.

From Time Magazine Archive

Instead, they trigger the production of cyclic AMP, which in turn regulates body functions, increasing the rate at which some take place, slowing down the rate of others.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then, in 1958, Sutherland isolated a previously unknown chemical called cyclic adenosine 3'5'-monophosphate, or cyclic AMP, that functions in an intermediary role in many hormonal processes.

From Time Magazine Archive