Functional characterization of corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptor endogenously expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells.

The endogenous expression in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors was detected. High-affinity binding sites for human CRF (K(i)=3.6 nM), ovine CRF (K(i)=4.6 nM), rat urocortin (K(i)=2.2 nM), sauvagine (K(i)=2.4 nM) and astressin (K(i)=4.3 nM) with the pharmacological characteristics for CRF type 1 (CRF(1)) receptors and B(max) values of approximately 30 fmol/mg protein were determined. The four CRF receptor agonists nonselectively stimulated cAMP production in HEK293 cells at low agonist concentrations, whereas the antagonist astressin shifted the dose-response curve for ovine CRF significantly rightward. Transfection of the pcDNA3 vector into HEK293 cells strongly reduced the expression of the endogenous CRF receptor. Northern blot analysis revealed the expression of a CRF(1) transcript in human neuronal tissues, HEK293, human NTera-2 (NT2) carcinoma, Y-79 retinoblastoma and African green monkey kidney (COS-7) cells. Neither by Northern blot analysis nor by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), the expression of CRF(2) could be detected. In cAMP stimulation experiments, functional CRF receptors were detected in these cell lines. These data show that HEK293 and other cell lines endogenously express CRF(1) receptors.