Induction of hormone receptor formation in the unicellular Tetrahymena.

Studies based on treatment with antibodies to thyrotropic hormone, luteotropic hormone, growth hormone or adrenocorticotropic hormone have shown that although the unicellular Tetrahymena does not possess sui generis receptors to all polypeptide hormones, such binding structures may arise, or become established in the membrane of the unicellular Tetrahymena in the presence of exogenous hormone. The Tetrahymena subjected to hormonal imprinting still contained an increased amount of hormone after six generation changes, which suggested that either hormone production had been induced by treatment, or the internalized hormone had not been degraded intracellularly. Thus the role of hormonal imprinting in receptor formation has also been substantiated by the immunocytochemical approach used in the present study.