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Structural and Functional Interrelationships of Adrenocorticotropin and the Melanotropins
Author(s) -
Ramachandran J.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
israel journal of chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.908
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1869-5868
pISSN - 0021-2148
DOI - 10.1002/ijch.197400053
Subject(s) - chemistry , receptor , tetrapeptide , hormone , peptide , function (biology) , peptide hormone , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , biochemistry , biology
Abstract Analysis of the structure‐function relationships of ACTH and the melanotropins of the pituitary gland indicates that a tetrapeptide segment common to the structures of these hormones is involved in eliciting such diverse biological actions as stimulation of adrenal steroidogenesis, lipolysis and melanin dispersion. The structural features of the hormones around the common peptide segment serve to distinguish between receptors in the different target tissues and ensure relative specificity of function of such closely related molecules as ACTH and α‐MSH. Although the mammalian adrenal cortical cell and the amphibian melanocyte appear to be stimulated by the same peptide segment, it can be inferred that there are significant differences in the structural features of the receptors in the two cell types even in the region of interaction with the peptide segment. The evolutionary interrelationships of these hormones as well as their specific receptors are also discussed.