Thyrotropin effects on thyroid cells in culture. Effects of trypsin on the thyrotropin receptor and on thyrotropin-mediated cyclic 3':5'-AMP changes.

Dog, human, and bovine thyroid cells in culture have been shown to develop follicle-like structures when cells are cultured in conditions of confluency and when cells are incubated in the presence of bovine thyrotropin or N6,O2'-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate during the first 24 to 48 hours after trypsinization. If thyrotropin is added 48 hours after trypsinization, these cells do not form follicle-like structures but remain as a monolayer culture. Although thyroid cells which grow as a monolayer have a thyrotropin receptor on their plasma membranes with the same in vitro binding properties as the thyrotropin receptor on the plasma membranes of the follicle-forming thyroid cells, there is a 1- to 2-fold greater number of receptors per mg of membrane protein when follicle-forming and monolayer cultures are compared...