Only limited pharmacological characterization of the CGRP(1) receptor, a heterodimer of the calcitonin (CT) receptor-like receptor (CL) and receptor activity-modifying protein I has been performed in cells that do not endogenously express RAMP2. We characterized the receptor in RAMP-deficient Cos 7 cells by measuring cAMP responses following agonist treatment in the absence or presence of antagonists. Potent cAMP responses to human a-and P-CGRP (Cys(Et)(2,7))h alpha CGRP and human adrenomedullin (AM) were observed. Adrenomedullin(15-52) was also an effective agonist of the CGRP(1) receptor but human and salmon calcitonin and rat amylin were only weak agonists. As expected, BIBN4096BS and CGRP(8-37) were effective antagonists of the CGRP(1) receptor. (Cys(AcM)(2,7))h alpha CGRP also antagonized CGRP responses. Antagonists of related receptors were only weakly able to inhibit CGRP responses. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.