3',5' cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-regulated guanine nucleotide exchange factors Epac (Epac1, cAMP-GEFI) and Epac2 (cAMP-GEFII) activate the Ras family GTPases Rap 1 and Rap 2 by promoting GTP binding in a cAMP-dependent manner. Eukaryotic cAMP is a second messenger that induces physiological responses such as gene expression, growth, differentiation, secretion and neurotransmission. The human Epac gene maps to chromosome 12q13.11 with transcript being abundant in the kidney and heart. In situ hybridization indicates expression of Epac in adult rat brain and selective expression in neonatal brain, including septum and thalamus.
