Phosphodiesterase (PDE) is a type of enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphodiester bonds in nucleotides, specifically in cyclic nucleotide monophosphates like cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP). By breaking these bonds, phosphodiesterases regulate the levels of these second messengers within cells, which are involved in various signaling pathways that control physiological processes such as cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis.
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