A splice variant to PACAP receptor that is involved in spermatogenesis is expressed in astrocytes

The pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) receptor, PAC1, recognizes PACAP with a higher affinity than it recognizes vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and belongs to the sub-family G protein-coupled receptors. So far, more than 10 different splice variants of PAC1 have been cloned from rat tissue. Interestingly, the various PAC1 splice variants exhibit different signaling pathways. These splice variants are suggested to play a functional role mostly in the brain as well as in the testes. The present article introduces PAC1(3a) that was originally discovered in testes as another potential regulator in rat astrocytes.