Mechanisms of Membrane-Receptor Regulation

Abstract

VIRTUALLY all hormones and drugs initiate their biologic actions by binding to specific cellular recognition sites, termed receptors. Receptor binding is followed by alterations of cellular metabolic events, such as enzyme activities or ion fluxes, that are ultimately expressed as characteristic physiologic or pharmacologic effects. Although the existence of receptors has been hypothesized for about 100 years, only within the past 15 years have they been directly studied as distinct cellular macromolecules. The development of the remarkably simple technique of radioligand binding opened this new era of investigation. This technique involves using radioactively labeled hormones or drugs, either agonists or . . .