title: Serpins as hormone carriers: modulation of release.
abstract: The hormone-carrying serpins, thyroxine- and corticosteroid-binding globulins, TBG and CBG, provide a clear example of the way the serpin conformational mechanism can be adapted not only to give an irreversible switching-off of function but also more significantly to allow a constant dynamic modulation of activity. This is illustrated here with the demonstration that hormone release from both TBG and CBG is responsive to changes in ambient temperature and specifically to changes in body temperature. An exception to this adaptation of the serpin mechanism is seen with another family member, angiotensinogen, in which hormone release is modulated by a redox switch and is apparently independent of changes in the serpin framework.
authors.affiliation: Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carrell
authors.forename: Xiaoqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Aiwu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000808:Angiotensinogen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001831:Body Temperature; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012083:Renin / Q000378:metabolism; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology*; D056825:Thyroxine-Binding Globulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014156:Transcortin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D056825:Thyroxine-Binding Globulin; D000808:Angiotensinogen; D014156:Transcortin; D012083:Renin