Membrane receptors and hormones
Barbarino, A.; Colasanti, S.
Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine Official Publication of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine and the International Association of Radiopharmacology 39(4 Suppl 1: 78-82
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 1125-0135 PMID: 9002756 Document Number: 452955
The regulation of metabolic processes, cell growth and differentiation is achieved by an interaction between hormones and specific cellular binding sites termed "receptors". These may be located on the cellular surface, in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus. Recently the structure of several membrane receptors in mammalian cells have been elucidated. These consist of peptide chains possessing multiple functional "domains". We describe in details the extracellular, transmembrane and intracellular "domains". In recent years antibodies to many receptors and analogues of some peptide hormones have become available; these can be used in clinical practice to study receptors, their localization and, in some cases, to block their function.