AJP - Cell Physiology, Vol 245, Issue 5 289-C296, Copyright © 1983 by American Physiological Society
Alteration of luminal membrane structure by antidiuretic hormone
R. M. Hays
The final step in the action of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is the insertion
of aggregates of water-conducting particles into the luminal membrane of
the receptor cell. The aggregates arise from cytoplasmic tubular structures
that fuse with the luminal membrane. This review presents a number of
questions about this process, along with current attempts to answer them.
The following topics are addressed: 1) the exact role of the cytoskeleton
in promoting tubular fusion, 2) the nature of the translocation process
leading to fusion, 3) the point in the sequence at which ADH enters, 4) the
composition and structure of the water-conducting particles. Some of the
answers require a more complete understanding of the structure of the
apical portion of ADH-sensitive cells; recent morphological studies are
therefore included.
