Receptor mediated action without receptor occupancy.

The relationship between occupancy of a specific cell surface receptor and actions initiated in the same cell by that event was tested on ovarian granulosa cells exposed to hCG. Hormone bound to its receptor was identified by immunocytochemistry or by autoradiography and the dissociation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase was followed by direct cytochemistry. Only 25-30% of the granulosa cells bound hCG and in each instance this resulted in protein kinase dissociation. Cells that did not bind hCG nevertheless dissociated protein kinase if they contacted a cell that had bound hormone and dissociated enzyme. Cells that neither bound hormone, nor contacted cells that did so, failed to dissociate protein kinase. These observations establish, in individual cells, a direct relationship of receptor occupancy to receptor-mediated action and indicate that this event can be communicated to receptorless cells, presumably by gap junctions, thereby amplifying the response to hormone. Similar processes may occur in other tissues wherein receptor-bearing cells are capable of intercellular communication.