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Activation of hormone receptors was recently found to evoke oscillations of the cAMP concentration ([cAMP]) beneath the plasma membrane of insulin-secreting cells. Here we investigate how different time courses of cAMP signals influence the generation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ signals and nuclear translocation of the PKA (protein kinase A) catalytic subunit in individual INS-1 β-cells. [cAMP] was measured with a fluorescent translocation biosensor and ratiometric evanescent wave microscopy. Analysis of PKA nuclear translocation was performed with epifluorescence microscopy and FlAsH (fluorescein arsenical helix binder) labelling of tetracysteine-tagged PKA-Cα subunit. Both oscillatory and stable elevations of [cAMP] induced by intermittent or constant inhibition of phosphodiesterases with isobutylmethylxanthine evoked Ca2+ spiking. During [cAMP] oscillations, the Ca2+ spiking was restricted to the periods of elevated [cAMP]. In contrast, only stable [cAMP] elevation induced nuclear entry of FlAsH-labelled PKA-Cα. These results indicate that oscillations of [cAMP] lead to selective target activation by restricting the spatial redistribution of PKA. Abbreviations: CFP, cyan fluorescent protein; FlAsH, fluorescein arsenical helix binder; GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide-1; IBMX, isobutylmethylxanthine; PKA, protein kinase A; YFP, yellow fluorescent protein

Cyclic AMP is a ubiquitous second messenger that transduces signals from a variety of cell surface receptors to regulate diverse cellular functions, including secretion, metabolism and gene transcription. In pancreatic beta-cells, cAMP potentiates Ca2+-dependent exocytosis and mediates the stimulation of insulin release exerted by the hormones glucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) (refs 4, 5-6). Whereas Ca2+ signals have been extensively characterized and shown to involve oscillations important for the temporal control of insulin secretion, the kinetics of receptor-triggered cAMP signals is unknown. Here we introduce a new ratiometric evanescent-wave-microscopy approach to measure cAMP concentration beneath the plasma membrane, and show that insulin-secreting beta-cells respond to glucagon and GLP-1 with marked cAMP oscillations. Simultaneous measurements of intracellular Ca2+ concentration revealed that the two messengers are interlinked and reinforce each other. Moreover, cAMP oscillations are capable of inducing rapid on-off Ca2+ responses, but only sustained elevation of cAMP concentration induces nuclear translocation of the catalytic subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Our results establish a new signalling mode for cAMP and indicate that temporal encoding of cAMP signals might constitute a basis for differential regulation of downstream cellular targets.