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Primary structure and functional expression of mouse pituitary and human brain corticotrophin releasing factor receptors
Author(s) -
Vita Natalio,
Laurent Patrick,
Lefort Sylvie,
Chalon Pascale,
Lelias Jean-Michel,
Kaghad Mourad,
Le Fur Gérard,
Caput Daniel,
Ferrara Pascual
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(93)80427-v
Subject(s) - receptor , medicine , endocrinology , chemistry , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Corticotrophin‐releasing factor (CRF) is the principal hypothalamic factor governing the pituitary‐adrenal axis, but the wide extra‐pituitary distribution of CRF and its receptors suggest a major role for this neuropeptide in the integration of the overall physiological and behavioral responses of an organism to stress. We have cloned a CRF receptor complementary DNA (cDNA) by expression in COS‐7 cells of a cDNA library from the AtT20 mouse pituitary tumour cell line. The cloned mouse cDNA was then used as a probe to isolate a human CRF receptor cDNA from a human brain cDNA library. The mouse and human cDNAs both encode 415 amino acid proteins that are 97% identical, containing seven putative transmembrane domains characteristic of G protein‐coupled receptors. The CRF receptor shows homology with the receptors for growth hormone‐releasing factor, vasoactive intestinal peptide, secretin, parathyroid hormone, and calcitonin. COS‐7 cells transfected with the mouse CRF receptor cDNA bind radiolabelled ovine CRF with high affinity and respond specifically to CRF by accumulation of intracellular cAMP. A 2.7 kb mRNA coding for the CRF receptor could be detected in AtT20 cells and human cortex tissue. PCR analysis also detected the receptor transcript in human pituitary, brainstem, and testis.