Journal
GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY
Volume 179, Issue 2, Pages 214-220Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.08.007
Keywords
Brain; Periphery; Bird; Corticosterone; Mineralocorticoid receptor; Glucocorticoid receptor
Categories
Funding
- EPA STAR Fellowship
- National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program
- National Science Foundation (USA) [IOS-1048529]
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems [0747361] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems
- Direct For Biological Sciences [1048529] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Div Of Biological Infrastructure
- Direct For Biological Sciences [1005082] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Glucocorticoid hormones play a key role in the stress response, but plasma concentrations vary based on physiological, environmental, or social parameters. However, hormone titers alone do not determine organismal response. To enhance our understanding of glucocorticoid actions we can examine 'downstream' factors in the organismal stress response, measuring glucocorticoid receptors across target tissues. Here, we characterized intracellular binding sites for CORT (corticosterone, the avian glucocorticoid) in house sparrow (Passer domesticus) brain, liver, skeletal muscle, spleen, fat, testes, ovary, kidney and skin. We used radioligand binding assays to identify total capacity, relative density and affinity for CURT of intracellular receptors in each tissue. Most evidence supported two binding sites similar to mammalian low-affinity glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and a high-affinity mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) for brain, liver, kidney and testes, and only a GR-like receptor for muscle, spleen, fat, ovary and skin. However, kidney data were somewhat more complicated, possibly hinting at a mineralocorticoid function for CURT and/or GR in birds. In all tissues, GR and MR affinities were close to published house sparrow values (K-d similar to 6 nM for GR, and similar to 0.2 nM for MR). Taken together, these data show that CORT receptor distribution appears to be as widespread in birds as it is in mammals, and suggest that independent regulation of peripheral receptors in different target tissues may play a role in CORT's diverse physiological effects. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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