Molecular cloning, stable expression and cellular localization of human α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes: effect of charcoal/dextran treated serum on expression and localization of α1D-adrenergic receptor

The cDNAs encoding for three subtypes of adrenergic receptors, α1A-, α1B- and α1D-ARs, were cloned and expressed in HEK 293 cells. Expression of α1A- and α1B-AR subtypes in HEK 293 cells was stable even with increased passages but that of α1D-AR was not. Cellular localization studies using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry revealed that expression of α1A- and α1B-ARs was primarily localized on the cell membrane whereas expression of α1D-AR was␣predominantly intracellular. Our studies clearly demonstrated that the culturing of the recombinant cell lines expressing α1D-AR in charcoal/dextran treated fetal bovine serum (FBS) resulted in targeting of α1D-AR to the cell membrane and thus, significantly improving its stability and availability for ligand binding studies.