Mineralocorticoid action: Target tissue specificity is enzyme, not receptor, mediated

John W. Funder, Paul T. Pearce, Robin Smith, A. Ian Smith

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

1555 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Mineralocorticoid receptors, both when in tissue extracts and when recombinant-derived, have equal affinity for the physiological mineralocorticoid aldosterone and for the glucocorticoids cortisol and corticosterone, which circulate at much higher concentrations than aldosterone. Such receptors are found in physiological mineralocorticoid target tissues (kidney, parotid, and colon) and in nontarget tissues such as hippocampus and heart. In mineralocorticoid target tissues the receptors are selective for aldosterone in vivo because of the presence of the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which converts cortisol and corticosterone, but not aldosterone, to their 11-keto analogs. These analogs cannot bind to mineralcorticoid receptors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)583-585
Number of pages3
JournalScience
Volume242
Issue number4878
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 1988
Externally publishedYes

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