One-step 10(4)-fold purification of transformed glucocorticoid receptor. Method for purifying receptors associated with Mr ca. 90,000 heat-shock protein.

Chromatography of rabbit glucocorticoid-receptor complexes in the absence of sodium molybdate on a Mono Q anion-exchange column induces the transformation of the receptor and allows the resolution of the transformed and non-transformed molecular species. These abilities were used to design a new purification scheme for the glucocorticoid receptor from rabbit liver in its transformed state. Microgram amounts of receptor were obtained using this single-step procedure in less than 2 h. The purification yield was 50-60%. Immunoblot experiments showed that the glucocorticoid receptor was present as an Mr approximately 94,000 polypeptide in these preparations and represented 20-30% of the eluted proteins as determined by densitometric scanning analysis of silver-stained sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gels. Finally, the purified receptor was able to interact quantitatively with bulk DNA.