Glucocorticoid receptor transformation and DNA binding

The overall goal is to probe the mechanism whereby glucocorticoid receptors are transformed from a non-DNA-binding form to their active DNA-binding form. The author has examined the effect of an endogenous inhibitor purified from rat liver cytosol on receptor binding to DNA. The inhibitor binds to transformed receptors in whole cytosol and prevent their binding to DNA. He also examined the role of sulfhydryl groups in determining the DNA binding activity of the transformed receptor and in determining the transformation process. Treatment of rat liver cytosol containing temperature-transformed, [3H]dexamethasone-bound receptors at 00C with the sulfhydryl modifying reagent methyl methanethiosulfonate inhibits the DNA-binding activity of the receptor, and DNA-binding activity is restored after addition of dithiothreitol. In addition, he has examined the relationship between receptor phosphorylation and DNA binding. Untransformed receptor complexes purified from cytosol prepared from mouse L cells grown in medium containing [32P]orthophosphate contain two components, a 100 k-Da and a 90-kDa subunit, both of which are phosphoproteins. On transformation, the receptor dissociates from the 90-kDa protein. Transformation of the complex under cell free conditions does not result in a dephosphorylation of the 100-kDa steroid-binding protein. Transformed receptor that has been bound to DNA and purified by monoclonal antibody is still in a phosphorylated form. These results suggest that dephosphorylation is not required for receptor binding to DNA