Characterization of Adrenocorticotropin Receptors that Appear when 3T3-L1 Cells Differentiate into Adipocytes*

Abstract

The binding of an ¹²⁵I-labeled analog of ACTH, [¹²⁵I]Tyr²³,Phe²,Nle⁴-ACTH-(1–38), to differentiated 3T3-L1 fat cells was characterized. Time-dependent binding, which was inhibited by saturating concentrations of unlabeled ACTH (0.44 nm), could be demonstrated in the differentiated cells. Using 0.4 nm [¹²⁵I] ACTH analog and increasing concentrations of ACTH, the half-maximal concentration for inhibition by ACTH was 4.3 nm. Scatchard analysis demonstrated a single class of ACTH binding. There were approximately 3500 binding sites/cell. The binding of [¹²⁵I]ACTH analog was specific in that it could be displaced by ACTH, ACTH-(1–19), ACTH-(1–17), and N-acetyl- Ser¹-ACTH, but not by high concentrations of insulin, β- endorphin, or polylysine. There was an excellent correlation between the ability of ACTH and its analogs to inhibit [¹²⁵I] ACTH analog binding and the ability of ACTH and its analogs to stimulate cAMP production. In contrast, no saturable binding could be demonstrated when undifferentiated 3T3-L1 fibroblasts, which are not responsive to ACTH, were studied. Thus, differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into the adipocyte form is accompanied by the appearance of receptors for ACTH. These receptors allow the adipocytes to respond to ACTH. (Endocrinology116: 113–117, 1985)