Immunological Studies of β Adrenergic Catecholamine Receptors: a Two-Way Approach

We have developped an immunological approach to the study of the β-adrenergic receptor-coupled adenylate cyclase system. Two types of antibodies have been raised, which interact with the cyclase system in different ways: anti-receptor antibodies, induced by immunization of mice with highly purified β-receptor from turkey erythrocytes stimulate the cyclase activity without interfering with the catecholamine binding to the receptor; antibodies directed against the active site of anti-alprenolol antibodies, i.e. anti-idiotype antibodies, also bind the receptor complex, stimulate both basal and hormone-stimulated cyclase activities, and, moreover, compete with specific ligands for binding on the β-receptor.