Exam 2 Steroid Hormones Flashcards
Agents that are produced in endocrine tissues and exert their effectiveness on other tissue types
Hormones
Hormones interact with ______ that results in changes of gene expression
Receptors
When a hormone exerts effects on the same cell
Autocrine
When a hormone exerts effects on adjacent cells
Paracrine
Hormone binding is affected by which two factors?
- Hormone concentration
2. Receptor activity/concentration
Factors that affect hormone concentration (5)
- *** The rate of synthesis and secretion of hormones
- Proximity of the target cell to the hormone (dilution effect)
- Dissociation constant (Kd) of the hormone with the plasma transport protein
- Conversion of hormone from inactive to active forms
- Rate of clearance from plasma by digestion, metabolism, or excretion
Factors that affect cell response to hormones (5)
- *** Number, activity, and state of occupancy of cell receptors
- Metabolism of the hormone in the cell
- Presence of other factors required for cell response
- Up- or downregulation of the receptor due to binding ligand
- Downregulation of a receptor
Hormones are present in very (low / high) concentrations?
Low
Two characteristics of receptors involved with hormone binding
- Have to be very discriminating to target ligand
2. Must bind saturation kinetics
Receptors have at least _______ domains?
Two
The binding of a single hormone to a receptor and coupling to intracellular signaling
Receptor-effector coupling
Group of hormones that undergo facilitative diffusion and bind to intracellular receptors
Group 1 - lipophilic
Group of hormones that bind on the surface of the membrane and initiate intracellular signal cascades
Group 2 - hydrophilic
Gene transcription is regulated almost exclusively by which group of hormones?
Group 1 - lipophilic
What hormone is the adrenal gland stimulated by, and what is the result?
Adrenal gland is stimulated by adrenalcorticotropic hormone (ACTH) that causes the expression of an esterase that hydrolyzes cholesterol from the membrane
Cholesterol is transported to what structure in the cell after release from the membrane?
Mitochondria
The side chain cleavage enzyme that converts cholesterol into pregnenolone (aka desmolase)
CYP450scc
The two steps involved in side chain cleavage of cholesterol
- Hydroxylations at C20 and C22
2. Side chain cleavage to get C21 pregnenolone
Key branching point for the formation of ALL steroid hormones is what structure?
Pregnenolone (C21)
Pregnenolone can be modified to form what three classes of steroids?
Mineralcorticoids, glucocorticoids, and androgens