title: Studies on polypeptide receptors a critical view on the mechanism of ACTH action.
abstract: Recent work on ACTH receptors in adrenal cells and adipocytes is reviewed. It is suggested that ACTH acts on two types of receptor: an adenylate cyclase receptor and another one that helps to guide cAMP into the correct compartment. The introduction of the term holoreceptor to indicate a unit that is recognized by the hormone and is able to produce a measurable effect, and of the terms discriminator, transmitter and effector to indicate the functional subunits of the holoreceptor is suggested as a measure enhancing clarity and flexibility of communication in this very complex field.
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000502:physiology; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000502:physiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases