Specific interaction of 3H-FSH with rat testis binding sites.

Abstract

Administration of FSH to immature rats results in a rapid stimulation of testicular RNA and protein synthesis (1–5). Although enhancement of nuclear RNA synthesis clearly precedes the effects on protein synthesis, little information is available on the sequence of events which occur in FSH target cells prior to stimulation of the transcription process. The bulk of available evidence suggests that entry into the target cell is not prerequisite for many of the actions of peptide hormones (6–9). Rather the surface of target cells have been shown to possess binding sites specific for the effective hormone (10–13). In many instances it has been possible to correlate the cellular attachment of peptide hormones with an activation of membrane-bound adenylate cyclase (10–12, 14–16). The resulting cAMP then serves as an intracellular mediator of hormone action.