text: Soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) is a regulatory cytosolic enzyme present in almost every cell. sAC is a source of cyclic adenosine 3’,5’ monophosphate (cAMP) – a second messenger that mediates cell growth and differentiation in organisms from bacteria to higher eukaryotes. sAC differentiates from the transmembrane adenylyl cyclase (tmACs) – an important source of cAMP; in that sAC is regulated by bicarbonate anions and it is dispersed throughout the cell cytoplasm. sAC has been found to have various functions in physiological systems different from that of the tmACs.