STROSBERG,A DONNY. Structure,function and regulation of the three P-adrenergic receptors. Obes Res.Three P-adrenergicreceptorsubtypes arenow known to be functionally expressedin mammals. Allthree belong to the R,G family of receptors coupled to Gproteins, and characterized by an extracellular glycosylatedN-terminal and an intracellular C-terminal region and seven transmembrane domains,linkedby threeexta-and threeintracellularloops.The catecholamine ligand binding domain, studied using affinity-labeling and site-directed mutagenesis, is a pocket lined by residues belonging to the transmembrane domains. The region responsibleforthe interactionwith the Gs proteinwhich,when activated,stimulates adenylyl cyclase, is composed of residues belonging to the parts most proximaltothemembraneofintracellular loopi,andthe Cterminal region.The pharmacology of the three subtypes is quite distinct: in fact most of the potent P,/P,antagonists (the well known P blockers) act as agonists on p,. The subtype is resistant to short-term desensitization mediated by phosphorylationthroughPKAor PARK,instarkcontratto the P, or P, subtypes. Various compounds (dexamethasone, butyrate,insulin) upregulate P, or P, subtypes whiledownregulating P, whose expression strictly correlates with differentiation of 3T3-F442A fibroblasts into adipocytes, thus confirming that the expression of the three subtypes may each be regulated independently to exert a specific physiologic role in different tissues or at different stages of development. 1995;3(S~ppl4) :SO 1 S-505s.