Interaction of vanadyl ribonucleoside complex with the androgen receptor

The addition of vanadyl ribonucleoside complex (VRC), a potent inhibitor of RNase, to the transformed 4.5S androgen receptor from rat submandibular gland caused an increase in the sedimentation coefficient to 7.0S. Moreover, VRC decreased the DNA-cellulose binding of the transformed receptor; 50% inhibition of the DNA-cellulose binding was achieved at 1.8 mM VRC. On the other hand, agents related to VRC and oxoanions of transient metals, such as ribonucleoside, vanadate, molybdate, tungstate and arsenate, exerted no effect on the DNA-cellulose binding ability of the receptor. These findings suggest that VRC binds to the transformed androgen receptor at the DNA-binding site and that both oxovanadium ion and ribonucleoside are indispensable for the binding of VRC to the transformed androgen receptor.     

The developmental appearance of androgen receptor protein and androgen inducibility of the gus gene complex in mouse kidney

During postnatal development of mouse kidney the androgen responsiveness of epithelial cells for β-glucuronidase induction, cellular hypertrophy, and other enzyme inductions appears coincidentally with a rise in androgen receptor protein. Initially, a low level of receptor is present but no response is seen. Beginning at about 12 days of age responsiveness begins to increase, reaches a half-maximal level at 18–20 days, and full responsiveness by 28–30 days. The limiting factor appears to be levels of androgen receptor protein. Our experiments shed no light on the question of why each androgen responsive cell type in the organism differentiates the capacity to induce a different array of proteins. However, they do suggest that responsiveness of the β-glucuronidase gene does not appear until a minimum threshold level of receptor is exceeded, and that the response of the gene may not be saturated even at the highest levels of receptor reached.