ABSTRACT
AngiotensinII (AngII) exerts its physiological effects in the target tissues through interaction with plasma membrane receptors. The developmental expression of AngII binding in the brain appears to follow different patterns. Since the receptor is the primary site of action of AngII, defining the properties and distribution of Angll binding sites during ontogeny will be essential for understanding the functions of the peptide in growth and maturation. This chapter reviews the knowledge on the timing of expression, topographic distribution, receptor subtypes, and mechanism of coupling of AngII receptors during fetal and postnatal development. Distinct AngII receptors have been identified according to their sensitivity to dithiothreitol (DTT) and their ability to bind to nonpeptide and peptide analogs. Regardless of the membrane preparation, tissue or species, binding is invariably associated with a single class of high-affinity sites, with an affinity in the nanomolar range.
