Experimental exophthalmos. Binding of thyrotropin and an exophthalmogenic factor derived from thyrotropin to retro-orbital tissue plasma membranes.

Biologically active preparations of 125I-thyrotropin, [3H]thyrotropin, and the [3H]exophthalmogenic factor derived from thyrotropin by partial pepsin digestion have been used to study the binding properties of the thyrotropin receptor on guinea pig retro-orbital tissue plasma membranes. In regard to the optimal conditions of binding, pH, buffer, salt concentrations, and temperature, these properties are the same as those described in any accompanying report concerning thyrotropin binding to bovine thyroid plasma membranes (Tate, R.L., Schwartz, H.I., Holmes, J.M., Kohn, L.D., and Winand, R.J. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 6509-6515). In addition, thyrotropin receptors on the retro-orbital tissue plasma membranes are similar to thyrotropin receptors on bovine thyroid plasma membranes in their apparent negative cooperativity and in their relative affinities for luteinizing hormone, the beta subunit of thyrotropin, and the alpha subunit of thyrotropin. In contrast, gamma-globulin from patients with malignant exophthalmos enhances binding when added to incubation mixtures containing the retro-orbital tissue plasma membranes but not when added to those containing thyroid plasma membranes. Normal gamma-globulin and gamma-globulin from Graves' disease patients without exophthalmos do not have this property. The gamma-globulin itself does not bind to the membrane except in the presence of thyrotropin or its exophthalmogenic factor derivative. Tryptic digestion of the retro-orbital tissue membranes releases specific thyrotropin and exophthalmogenic factor binding activity into the supernatant phase. Chromatography on Sephadex G-100 indicates that this trypsin-released receptor activity has a molecular weight of 75,000 or greater, rather than 15,000 to 30,000 for the trypsin-released receptor activity from bovine thyroid membranes (Tate, R.L., Schwartz, H.I., Holmes, J.M., Kohn, L.D., and Winand, R.J. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 6509-6515).