Expression of human thyrotropin receptor by recombinant adenovirus

We developed a new system for expressing a functional human thyrotropin receptor in eukaryotic cells using replication-deficient recombinant human type 5 adenovirus. COS-7 cells infected with recombinant adenovirus encoding human thyrotropin receptor cDNA showed specific thyrotropin binding (Kd = 1.8 x 10(-9) M) and cAMP responses after stimulation by human thyrotropin. Cells infected with control virus encoding firefly luciferase cDNA did not show thyrotropin binding nor cAMP responses following incubation with thyrotropin. This system will be useful for analyzing T cell immunity to thyrotropin receptor in patients with Graves' disease by expressing human thyrotropin receptor in patients' antigen-presenting cells.