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Melanocortins and Adrenocortical Function

  • Chapter
The Melanocortin Receptors

Part of the book series: The Receptors ((REC))

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Abstract

Although the existence of a functional relationship between the pituitary gland and the adrenal cortex was revealed by the classic studies of Smith almost seventy years ago (1),the first purified adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) preparation from sheep pituitary was obtained only in 1954 (2), and its structure was determined in the following few years (3). In the 1960s, it was shown that ACTH stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production by bovine adrenocortical slices and that cAMP itself could stimulate steroidogenesis, suggesting the role of cAMP as an obligatory mediator of the effects of ACTH (4). Moreover, several groups presented evidence that the hormones did not have to enter cells to stimulate steroidogenesis, since anti-ACTH antibody added several minutes after ACTH obliterated this effect (5) and ACTH[1–24] linked to cellulose was able to stimulate steroidogenesis of Y-1 adrenal tumor cells (6). Finally, the presence of specific binding of 125I-ACTH[1–39] to adrenal cell subcellular fraction, which contained ACTH-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity, was demonstrated in 1971 (7). Taken together, these findings led to the proposition that the initial event in the action of ACTH on adrenal cells was the binding of the hormone with specific receptors on the cell membrane leading to stimulation of adenylate cyclase and an increase in cAMP production, which in turn mediates an increase in steroidogenesis (8). This classical schema of the mechanism of ACTH action has been questioned for several reasons.

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Authors
  1. Martine Bégeot
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  2. José M. Saez
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  1. Vollum Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA

    Roger D. Cone

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Bégeot, M., Saez, J.M. (2000). Melanocortins and Adrenocortical Function. In: Cone, R.D. (eds) The Melanocortin Receptors. The Receptors. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-031-5_3

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