The brain corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor is of lower apparent molecular weight than the CRF receptor in anterior pituitary. Evidence from chemical cross-linking studies.

The ligand binding subunits of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors in brain and anterior pituitary of a number of species have been identified by chemical affinity cross-linking using the homobifunctional cross-linking agent disuccinimidyl suberate and 125I-Tyr0-oCRF (ovine CRF). In homogenates of rat, monkey, and human cerebral cortex, 125I-Tyr0-oCRF was covalently incorporated into a protein of Mr = 58,000. Under identical conditions in the anterior pituitary of rat, monkey, cow, and pig, 125I-Tyr0-oCRF was incorporated into a protein of apparent Mr = 75,000. The specificity of the labeling was typical of the CRF binding site since both the cerebral cortex- and pituitary-labeled proteins exhibited the appropriate pharmacological rank order profile characteristic of the CRF receptor (Nle21,Tyr32-oCRF approximately equal to rat/human CRF approximately equal to ovine CRF approximately equal to alpha-helical CRF(6-41) greater than alpha-helical oCRF(9-41) greater than or equal to oCRF(7-41) greater than rat/human CRF(1-20) approximately equal to vasoactive intestinal peptide). In addition to the major labeled proteins, 125I-Tyr0-oCRF was incorporated into higher molecular weight peptides which may represent precursors and into lower molecular weight components which may represent fragments of the major labeled proteins or altered forms of the CRF binding subunit. In summary, these data indicate a heterogeneity between brain and pituitary CRF receptors with the ligand binding subunit of the brain CRF receptor residing on a Mr = 58,000 protein, while in the anterior pituitary, the identical binding subunit resides on a protein of apparent Mr = 75,000.