Hydrocortisone and triiodothyronine regulation of malate-aspartate shuttle enzymes during postnatal development of chicken.

The normal endogenous level of malate-aspartate shuttle enzymes and its regulation by hydrocortisone and triiodothyronine were studied in the liver and kidney of 0-, 30- and 60-day old male Rhode Island Red (RIR) chicken. The endogenous activity of cytosolic malate dehydrogenase (c-MDH) was significantly higher in the liver of day 30 as compared to day 0 and 60. In contrast, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (m-MDH) activity decreased at day 60 in the liver. However, both c- and m-MDH had significantly lower activities at day 0, which increased sharply at day 30 and 60 in the kidney. On the other hand, activity of both cytosolic and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (c- and m-AsAT) showed peak value at day 30 in both liver and kidney. Hydrocortisone administration induced c-MDH in the liver at all the ages studied, but did not influence the activity of the isoenzymes in the kidney whereas, it induced m-MDH in the liver at day 0 and in kidney at day 30. Administration of hydrocortisone, however, did not influence AsAT isoenzymes (c- and m-AsAT) in either of the tissues at any of the postnatal ages. Triiodothyronine induced c-MDH in the liver at all the ages whereas kidney isoenzyme was induced only at day 60. In contrast, m-MDH was induced by triiodothyronine in both liver and kidney at day 30 and 60. Administration of triiodothyronine did not influence c-AsAT of liver and kidney at either of the ages, whereas it induced m-AsAT of only liver at day 0 and 60. These findings indicated a tissue- and age-specific expression of the malate-aspartate shuttle enzymes in chicken and difference in the regulation exerted by hydrocortisone and triiodothyronine during postnatal development of chicken.     

Interaction of the calf uterine estrogen receptor with acceptor sites in heterologous chicken target cell nuclei

Estrogen receptor (ER) from chicken liver and calf uterus were used to study the capacity and the characteristics of the receptor binding sites (acceptor sites) in chicken target cell nuclei. Binding studies were performed at a physiological salt concentration of 0.15 M KCl. Binding of liver ER to liver nuclei was temperature-dependent, showing a 9-fold increase between 0 and 28 degrees C. The maximal number of acceptor sites measured in this cell-free system (280 sites/nucleus) was considerably lower than measured in nuclei after in vivo administration of estrogen (820 sites/nucleus). Moreover incubation of nuclei with the liver ER preparation resulted in a substantial breakdown of nuclear DNA, making this ER less suitable for DNA binding studies. The temperature-activated calf uterine receptor bound to liver nuclei at 0 degrees C, at which temperature no DNA degradation was measured. To all chicken cell nuclei tested, the receptor bound with a high affinity (Kd = 0.4-1.0 nM). Nuclear binding displayed tissue specificity: oviduct greater than heart, liver greater than spleen greater than erythrocytes and was salt dependent. Calf uterine ER binding in liver nuclei ranged from 3000-6000 acceptor sites per nucleus when assayed under conditions of a constant protein or a constant DNA concentration. Nuclei isolated from estrogen-treated cockerels bound a 2-fold lower number of calf uterine ER complexes when compared to control nuclei. Incubation of nuclei with a fixed concentration of [3H]ER from liver and increasing concentrations of uterine non-radioactive-ER also resulted in a reduced binding of the liver receptor. Both types of experiments suggest that liver and uterine ER compete for a common nuclear acceptor site. Our data demonstrate that the ER from calf uterus is very useful as a probe to examine the nature of the acceptor sites in heterologous chicken target cell nuclei. The assay system functions at 0 degrees C, a temperature at which no DNA degradation occurs.     

The responses of rat liver glucocorticoid receptors and genes for tyrosine aminotransferase, alpha-2-macroglobulin and gamma-fibrinogen to adrenalectomy-, dexamethasone- and inflammation-induced changes in the levels of glucocorticoids and proinflammatory cytokines

The responses of liver glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and genes coding for a glucocorticoid-inducible tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) and two acute-phase proteins (APP) [alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2-M) and gamma-fibrinogen (Fb)] to changes in glucocorticoid (GC) and proinflammatory (AP) cytokine contents have been examined in rats after single or combined treatments with turpentine oil, dexamethasone (Dex) and adrenalectomy. Activation of two APP genes in turpentine-induced inflammation was accompanied by an increase in the level of GR mRNA and a preferential translocation of GR-GC complexes to the nucleoplasm, while the expression of TAT remained unaltered. Dex alone caused a decrease in the levels of GR and Fb mRNAs, activation of TAT and alpha2-M genes, a decrease in the affinity of hormone binding sites and redistribution of translocated GR-Dex complexes within the nuclei. Inflammation potentiated the effect which Dex alone exerted on the GR content and the number of GR binding sites but counteracted its influence on the affinity of GR binding sites and nuclear distribution of GR-Dex complexes. Adrenalectomy promoted a fall in TAT mRNA, no changes in the GR and Fb mRNA, a decrease in the affinity of GR hormone binding sites and redistribution of GR-hormone complexes within the nuclei. The AP cytokines released in response to inflammation exerted a counteracting effect on the adrenalectomy-induced changes in the affinity of hormone binding sites and nuclear distribution of GR-hormone complexes. They potentiated a fall of TAT mRNA but promoted full expression of the Fb gene. These results argue strongly for the influence of AP cytokines on the functional state of the GR and GC signaling pathways.     

鸡烟碱样乙酰胆碱受体γ亚基启动子中的M-CAT结合特性(英文)

鸡骨骼肌烟碱样乙酰胆碱受体 ( ACh R)γ亚基基因启动子含有几个 M- CAT元件 ,为γ亚基基因表达其全能活性所必需 .为探索 M- CAT元件结合功能特性 ,分析了 γ亚基启动子近转录起始点 - 67/ - 61位的 M- CAT元件与核因子的相互作用 .突变及结合试验证明 ,M- CAT核心序列结合几种测试组织中的核蛋白产生高迁移的 DNA-蛋白质复合物 ;侧翼序列结合肝以外的几种组织不同的核蛋白质 ,产生低迁移的 DNA-蛋白质复合物 .Southwestern印迹 ( DNA印迹 )技术在 1 3d鸡胚所有被检测的组织核抽提物中只检出了 30 k D的核蛋白 .结果提示 ,30 k D因子在多种组织普遍表达 ,可直接以单体或同质二聚体形式结合 M- CAT元件 ;而结合侧翼序列的不同组织因子结合DNA时可能需依赖普遍表达的 30 k D因子的存在 .     

Autoradiographic study of thermo-dependent nucleo-cytoplasmic distribution of aldosterone binding sites in intact target cells

Autoradiographic studies of [3H]aldosterone [( 3H-A] and [3H]dexamethasone binding sites in intact target cells (isolated collecting tubules of rabbit and rat kidney) revealed an almost exclusive nuclear localization of the hormone-receptor complexes. In the present work we compared the nucleo-cytoplasmic repartition of [3H]A-receptor complexes studied in parallel by biochemical and autoradiographic methods. In addition, the thermo-dependency of the nuclear translocation was examined. Kidney pyramids were incubated in vitro with [3H]A (2 X 10(-9) M) in the presence or absence of a 100-fold excess unlabelled A, at 30 degrees C for 1 h or 4 degrees C for 2 h. Then tissue was processed for isolation of nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions, on the one hand, or for obtention of microdissected tubular segments on which autoradiographs on dry films were performed. Autoradiographs showed that the specific labelling was almost exclusively nuclear without significant cytoplasmic labelling, at both 30 or 4 degrees C. This indicates that almost all binding sites migrated rapidly into nuclei, and that this translocation did not depend on temperature. In contrast, parallel biochemical experiments yielded classical results, that is, at 30 degrees C, the presence of specific binding sites in both cytoplasm and nuclei with a predominance in cytoplasm. At 4 degrees C, the cytoplasmic binding was unchanged, but nuclear binding was drastically reduced, indicating thermodependency of nuclear translocation, when studied by biochemical methods including cell disruption. Autoradiographic results thus questioned the classical notion of thermo-dependent nuclear translocation of aldosterone-receptor complexes, based on results obtained by biochemical methods.     

Dexamethasone treatment affects nuclear glucocorticoid receptor and glucocorticoid response element binding activity in liver of rats (Rattus norvegicus) during aging

Aging is associated with marked changes in the biochemical processes of many organs. Basal and glucocorticoid induced of liver nuclear glucocorticoid receptor (GR) on the level of protein expression and DNA-binding activity were investigated at different ages (3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months old) in two groups of rats in: untreated and dexamethasone treated. The results showed a significant decline of GR protein immunopurified from untreated rats of advanced age. In dexamethasone-treated rats, the quantity of GR protein was lower than in controls at all ages. The interactions of liver nuclear proteins with radioactively labelled synthetic oligonucleotide analogue containing consensus GRE sequence were analysed during aging. The results showed that GRE binding activity demonstrated a decrease both in untreated and in dexamethasone treated rats. However, relative to untreated rats, dexamethasone treatment resulted in a significant increase in GRE binding at all ages, except that of three months old animals. In conclusion, the observed alterations in GR protein expression and its DNA binding activity may play a role in the changes of the cell response to glucocorticoid during aging.     

Age-dependent regulation of glucocorticoid receptors in the liver of male rats

Specific binding of [3H]dexamethasone to cytosol and the activation of bound hormone-receptor complexes were studied in the liver of immature (3 weeks old) and mature (26 weeks old) Long-Evans male rats. The concentration of specific binding sites was significantly higher (33%) in the liver of immature rats as compared to mature, while dissociation constants (Kd) remain unaltered at both ages. Heat activation (for 45 min at 25 degrees C) significantly enhances the binding of [3H]dexamethasone-receptor complexes to DNA-cellulose and purified nuclei at both the ages, with a greater magnitude in mature rats. Cross mixing experiments (i.e., binding of activated cytosol from mature rats to nuclei of immature and vice-versa) show receptor specificity. Ca2+ activation (20 mM Ca2+ for 45 min at 0 degree C) also enhances the nuclear and DNA-cellulose binding at both the ages, but to a similar extent. Differences in the number of specific binding sites and some of the physiochemical properties of glucocorticoid receptors presented here between immature and mature rats may underlie the functional changes in tissue response with age.     

Heterogeneity of the glucocorticoid receptors: molecular transformations during activation, detected by electrofocusing

Isoelectric focusing (IEF) of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) of the neural retina of the 14-day chick embryo was conducted under conditions that yielded quantitative recovery of binding activity. IEF of the cytosol, equilibrated with [3H]triamcinolone acetonide (TA) at 0-2 degrees C yielded three major TA-GR components with apparent isoelectric points (pI') of 5.4 +/- 0.3, 6.5 +/- 0.2, and 7.6 +/- 0.3, designated as I, II, and III, respectively. During temperature-induced activation (incubation at 30 degrees C for 60 min, in the presence of free [3H]TA and 0.15 M KCl), approximately 25% of the specifically bound TA was irreversibly lost. IEF reveals that this loss is accounted for by the complete loss of binding from I. During activation, II also decreases but correspondingly III increases, i.e., the sum of II and III remains unchanged. Only the bound TA of I is sensitive to the addition of KCl (a promoter of activation). This sensitivity of I is temperature dependent. Molybdate (an inhibitor of activation) protects the bound TA of I and suppresses the formation of III. These two effects of molybdate diminish simultaneously when the temperature is increased to 30 degrees C. III preferentially exhibits binding activity to nuclei. The data suggest that (i) the glucocorticoid-free cytosol contains two GRs, I and II, with possibly two different functions; (ii) activation involves the loss of bound TA from I and the transformation of II to III with increased pI; (iii) these two molecular events in GR activation are interdependent.     

Interaction of calf uterine estrogen receptors with chicken target cell nuclei

The calf uterine estrogen receptor (ER) was used to study the capacity and the characteristics of the acceptor sites in chicken target cell nuclei. The temperature-activated ER is bound at 0 degrees C with a high affinity to all chicken cell nuclei tested (Kd = 0.4-1.0 nM). The nuclear binding displayed tissue specificity: oviduct greater than liver, heart greater than spleen greater than erythrocytes and was salt-dependent. ER binding to liver nuclei measured in 0.15 M KCl varied between 3000 and 6000 acceptor sites per nucleus. Liver nuclei isolated from estrogen-treated cockerels showed a 2-fold lower binding capacity than nuclei from non-treated chickens. When nuclei were incubated with [3H]ER from embryo liver and increasing concentrations of uterine non-radioactive-ER a progressive inhibition of the binding of the liver ER was found. These experiments suggest that liver and uterine ER compete for a common acceptor site. Liver nuclei charged in vitro with calf uterine ER were digested at 0 degree C with DNAase I and micrococcal nuclease. Both enzymes excised the ER in the form of a chromatin-ER complex. A considerable portion was associated with nucleosomal subunits and a minor fraction was associated with a nuclease-sensitive, protein-poor fraction of the chromatin.     

Immunofluorescent localization of the proteins of nuclear ribonucleoprotein complexes

Antibodies were raised in chickens against heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA)-binding proteins from 30S ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes of mouse Taper hepatoma ascites cell nuclei. The antibody preparations were characterized for immunological specificity and purity by double- diffusion gels, binding to specific bands in SDS polyacrylamide gels, and crossed immunoelectrophoresis. Antibodies raised against either whole 30S RNP complexes or purified RNP core proteins had a strong selective affinity for the four 34,000- to 40,000-dalton polypeptides which comprise the major structural proteins of hnRNP. The intracellular distribution of 30S RNP antigens in mouse ascites cells was determined by indirect immunofluorescence microsacopy. In interphase cells immunofluorescent sites were restricted to the nucleus, and nucleoli were free of fluorescence. The chicken anti-mouse- RNP antibodies were also able to react with cells from many different vertebrate species, showing a similar nucleus-restricted localization of the reacting sites. The antibodies also bound chick 30S RNP-proteins and reacted with the nuclei of chick cells. An exception to this was the failure of the antibody to bind to adult chick erythrocytes, suggesting that these major hnRNA binding proteins may be found only in nuclei capable of RNA synthesis.     

鸡胚骨骼肌组织M-CAT结合因子的初步鉴定

采用偶联ＣＡＴＴＧＣＴ寡核苷酸的ＤＮＡ亲和层析柱从发育１３ｄ鸡胚骨骼肌核抽提物中分离到两种核蛋白．ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ结果表明,被ＤＮＡ亲和柱滞留的两种核蛋白分子量分别为３０ｋＤ和３２ｋＤ．凝胶阻滞结合竞争分析显示,纯化的核蛋白可与Ｍ－ＣＡＴ共有序列ＣＡＴＴＣＣＴ特异结合．Ｓｏｕｔｈｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ印迹技术确定仅３０ｋＤ分子可直接识别、结合ＣＡＴＴＣＣＴ元件,但３２ｋＤ分子却不能．结果提示,３０ｋＤ分子为依赖ＤＮＡ的Ｍ－ＣＡＴ结合因子,３２ｋＤ分子属性有待进一步研究证实     

The neonatal glucocorticoid treatment-produced long-term changes of the pituitary-adrenal function and brain corticosteroid receptors in rats.

Two distinct periods of sensitivity to elevated glucocorticoid hormone levels during postnatal development of the pituitary-adrenal axis were studied. Wistar rats were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) with cortisol (1 mg/kg) on postnatal days 1-5 or 14-18. The steroid treatment during the first postnatal week resulted in a decrease of the morning basal and stress-induced plasma corticosterone levels in 30 day-old male rats, as well as in rats that were injected with cortisol on the third postnatal week. Stress-induced corticosterone levels in 90-day old cortisol-treated rats were determined in blood samples drawn from the tail vein before the restraint stress, immediately after the 20-min long stress, then 60 and 180 min afterwards. Only the rats treated with cortisol during the third week showed a prolonged stress-induced corticosterone secretion, with the highest corticosterone level in 180 min after the restraint stress. The early neonatal cortisol treatment had no effect on (3)H-corticosterone binding in all studied brain areas of the 90-day old rats. The rats treated with cortisol at the 14-17th postnatal days showed a significantly lower (3)H-corticosterone binding in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. These findings suggest that the third week of life in rats is more sensitive to elevated levels of corticosterone than the first one. The high level of glucocorticoids at this period has long-term effects on the efficiency of the negative feedback mechanisms provided by hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.     

Compared intracellular localization of the glucocorticosteroid and progesterone receptors: an immunocytochemical study

The intracellular distribution of the glucocorticosteroid and progesterone receptors (GR and PR, respectively) was studied immunohistochemically. In control adrenalectomized (Adx) rat liver, immunostaining of paraffin sections revealed GR in cell nuclei, with a wide range of intensity between individuals. Following dexamethasone (Dex) treatment, the nuclear staining was uniformly high in all animals; the cytoplasmic staining was always weak and remained unchanged after Dex treatment. In frozen sections, the GR immunoreactivity in cell nuclei was weak in the absence and very strong in the presence of Dex, while no GR-specific cytoplasmic staining was observed. In frozen sections fixed in vapor of formaldehyde to avoid any artifactual redistribution of the receptor, some GR immunostaining was observed in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. In contrast, in paraffin as well as in frozen sections of chick oviduct, fixed by immersion or in vapor, PR was exclusively nuclear, including in the absence of progesterone, and the intensity of immunostaining was not modified by progesterone treatment. In order to verify if loss of nuclear receptors during tissue preparation could explain the differences in nuclear immunostaining observed between hormone-free and hormone-occupied GR, and between GR and PR, frozen sections of Adx rat liver and chick oviduct were preincubated at 4 degrees C in buffer solutions before the fixation procedure. It was found that hormone-free GR diffused out of the nucleus faster than hormone-occupied GR nuclei, and that nuclear GR diffused faster than nuclear PR. Based on these results, we propose that, during the fixation procedure, the fraction of nuclear GR which diffuses out of the nucleus is much smaller in the presence than in the absence of Dex. This lesser loss of nuclear GR after Dex treatment results in an increase of immunostaining after hormonal administration, which might have been erroneously interpreted as a sign of translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus. That the nuclear PR detection is not modified by progesterone treatment may be explained by its reduced diffusibility as compared to nuclear GR. This hypothesis does not rule out the existence of some cytoplasmic GR, whose significance remains unclear, but it offers a unified mechanism of action for all steroid hormone receptors. In the case of glucocorticosteroids, as already proposed for estradiol and progesterone, no step of cytoplasm to nucleus translocation would be required for hormone action, and transformation-activation would occur in the nucleus, resulting in tighter binding of the hormone receptor complexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Binding of progesterone receptor by nuclear preparations of rabbit and guinea pig uterus.

Guinea pig and rabbit uterine nuclei bound [3H] progesterone in vitro only in the presence of cytosol from estrogen-stimulated uteri. Nuclei from unstimulated and estrogen-stimulated uteri bound progesterone equally well. Nuclei of nontarget tissues also bound progesterone, but to a lesser extent. The rate of nuclear bindins increased with temperature from 0-30 degrees. At 25 degrees nuclear binding remained stable for at least 3 h, but at temperatures of 30 degrees and greater, nuclear binding decreased rapidly after 15 min. Activation of the progesterone-cytoplasmic receptor complex (the change in the complex that enables it to bind quickly to nuclei at 0 degrees) took place slowly at temperatures from 0-5 degrees and rapidly at 10-25 degrees. Activation was facilitated by dilution of the cytosol. Some activation occurred in diluted cytosol in the absence of added progesterone. The cytoplasmic progesterone receptor had a sedimentation coefficient of 7 S when concentrated cytosol (20 mg of protein/ml) was incubated with progesterone at 0 degrees in 5 mM phosphate buffer. Diluting the cytosol and increasing the temperature to 20 degrees caused the sedimentation coefficient to decrease to 5.5 S. Gel filtration of guinea pig uterine cytosol on Sephadex G-100, in the absence of progesterone, yielded a progesterone-binding fraction in the void volume, with a sedimentation coefficient of 5.5 S. The complex of progesterone with the material in the void volume was taken up by nuclei at 0 degrees more rapidly than the complex of progesterone and crude cytosol. The nuclear uptake of progesterone was decreased in phosphate buffer of concentrations greater than 80 mM. Under conditions that favor the nuclear binding of progesterone, the sedimentation coefficient of the cytoplasmic progesterone receptor was 5.5 S. This may be the form of the preceptor which is taken up by nuclei. In decreasing order of effectiveness, unlabeled progesterone, 5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione, corticosterone 20 alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one, testosterone, estradiol-17 beta, and cortisol competed with [3H] progesterone for binding to nuclei.     

Purification and primary structure of a macromolecular-translocation inhibitor II of glucocorticoid-receptor binding to nuclei from rat liver. Inhibitor II is the 11.5-kDa Zn2+-binding protein (parathymosin).

The nuclear binding of the activated glucocorticoid-receptor (GR) is inhibited by endogenous macromolecules in vitro. Previously, we have separated the inhibitors into three species (MTI-I, MTI-II and MTI-III). In this study, we purified the most potent of the three species (MTI-II) from the livers of adrenalectomized rats to apparent homogeneity as judged by two-dimensional PAGE. Purified MTI-II inhibits GR binding to DNA containing glucocorticoid-response elements. To obtain the amino acid sequence of MTI-II, we digested the MTI-II with endopeptidases. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of the four digested fragments indicated that MTI-II is an 11.5-kDa Zn2+-binding protein (ZnBP, also known as parathymosin). Furthermore, we purified ZnBP to apparent homogeneity and found that it also inhibits GR binding to nuclei. ZnBP is known to be an abundant acidic protein involved in cell proliferation, and interacts with histone H1 or key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism via its acidic domain. We also showed that the inhibition of GR binding to nuclei is mediated by the acidic domain of MTI-II (ZnBP, parathymosin) and that GR binds to the MTI-II affinity matrix. Our findings add a new biological function, i.e. the inhibition of GR binding to nuclei and DNA, to this ZnBP. Moreover, our findings suggest that the abundant acidic protein is involved in glucocorticoid action.     

Repeated immobilization stress increases total cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor in rat liver

Glucocorticoids are well-known mediators of stress-related endocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses in mammals and human beings. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of glucocorticoid action in response to stress remains elusive. Therefore, in the present study, an effort has been made to systematically examine glucocorticoid action during acute (2 h) and repeated (2 h daily for 7, 15, and 30 days) immobilization stress in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Prolonged 30-day stress resulted in reduced total body weight gain. There was a dramatic 3- to 4-fold increase in plasma corticosterone levels after single acute stress paradigm, which remained augmented 2- to 3-fold higher than basal control levels during the repeated 30-day immobilization conditions. There was good relationship between increased plasma corticosterone levels and elevation of tyrosine aminotransferase activity in the liver during 30 days of stress. Because repeated immobilization stress animals showed increased levels of both plasma corticosterone and tyrosine aminotransferase activity, the regulation of cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in rat liver, a major target tissue for glucocorticoid, was carried out during repeated stress by using GR binding assay, exchange assay, and Western blotting techniques. Exposure of animals to acute and repeated stress resulted in decreased free cytosolic GR. Interestingly, the bound cytosolic GR increased remarkably in liver during prolonged stress of 7-30 days. Overall, results obtained by using both binding assays and Western blotting for the first time showed that repeated stress animals had higher levels of total hepatic cytosolic GR as compared to control animals. These novel results suggest that repeated stress influences the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rats by elevating both the level of plasma corticosterone and total hepatic cytosolic GR.     

Postnatal development of the mixed function oxidase system in nestling barn owls and baby chicks and induction of this system in the mature forms by Aroclor 1254

Postnatal changes in content and activity of the mixed-function oxidase system in nestling barn owls and baby chicks showed the following: 1. Increase in liver weight in both. 2. Significantly higher cytochrome P-450 level in 1-day old chicks but lower in 1-day old owls than at any other age. 3. Ratio of cytochrome b5 to P-450 was lower than one in nestling owls but higher than one in chicks. 4. Aroclor 1254 (PCBs) increased the level and catalytic activity of cytochrome P-450 more in the owl than in the chick. 5. The ratio 455:430 nm characteristic of ethylisocyanide binding was not altered in the barn owl due to PCB treatment but changed significantly in the treated chicken.