The luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor is a member of the seven-transmembrane receptor family. It is coupled, presumably via G s and G q , to two signal pathways involving adenylyl cyclase/cAMP and phospholipase C/inositol phosphate (IP). Little is known about the events prior to G-protein coupling: for example, whether these signals are generated from a single or multiple independent origins and mechanisms, when and where they diverge, and how they are transduced. We report novel observations that the cAMP signal and the IP signal originate and diverge upstream of G-protein coupling. The LH/CG 1 receptor is a member of the seven-transmembrane (TM) receptor family and comprises two distinct functional domains consisting of the extracellular N-terminal half and the membrane-associated C-terminal half. These two domains are encoded by 11 exons (1, 2). Exons 1-10 encode the extracellular N-terminal domain, which alone is responsible for high affinity hormone binding (3)(4)(5). This distinguishes the LH/CG receptor and other glycoprotein hormone receptors from all other seven-TM receptors, which have the high affinity ligand binding sites in the membrane-associated domain (6). Exon 11 of the LH/CG receptor encodes the membrane-associated domain, which is capable of low affinity hormone binding and receptor activation (5, 7). This membrane-associated domain includes seven-TM helices joined together by three exoloops and three cytoloops.The LH/CG receptor is coupled to the adenylyl cyclase and PLC signal pathways, inducing the production of cAMP and inositol phosphates (IPs) as intracellular signal molecules (8). These signal molecules are produced when the receptor couples, presumably through G s and G q (9), to adenylyl cyclase and PLC, respectively (10). However, little is known about the events prior to G-protein coupling (6) (in particular, when more than one signal is involved). As a first step to lead discussion, several simple mechanisms are hypothesized for dual signals as shown in Fig. 1. Hormonal signal generation and transfer can be likened to an electrical circuit. Contact between the hormone and the receptor acts as an on/off signal switch and the receptor conducts the signal to the terminal cytodomain G-protein dock. Signals may be generated and transferred by single switch/single conductor, single switch/dual conductors, or dual switches/dual conductors. We will examine these models in light of the existing evidence.Recent investigations have identified several amino acids of the LH/CG receptor that are important for receptor activation (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19). Most of these amino acids are present in cytoplasmic or TM domains. Only a few were found in the extracellular regions of the LH/CG receptor (11,12,(17)(18)(19). The added significance of extracellular amino acids in receptor activation is that they are near or at the hormone binding domain and could be involved in signal generation (6). Although their involvement in cAMP induction has been extensively examined, non...