The following table lists common second messengers and their associated pathways:
| Second Messenger | Signaling Pathway | Function(s) |
| Calcium | Phosphoinositol Pathway | An increase in cytosolic calcium concentrations triggers various responses such as muscle contraction, exocytosis, T lymphocyte activation, cell adhesion and apoptosis. |
| Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) | cAMP or Adenylyl Cyclase Signaling Pathway | Activates protein kinase A (PKA), a cAMP-dependent kinase that phosphorylates proteins. Regulates gene transcription. |
| Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) | cGMP Signaling Pathway | Activates protein kinase G (PKG), a cGMP-dependent kinase that phosphorylates proteins. |
| Inositol triphosphate (IP3) | Phosphoinositol Pathway | Binds to calcium channels located on the endoplasmic reticulum, trigger the release of calcium into the cytosol. |
| Diacylglycerol (DAG) | Phosphoinositol Pathway | Activates protein kinase C (PKC), a calcium-dependent kinase that phosphorylates proteins. |