Intranuclear distribution of androgen receptors in human prostate carcinoma.

Androgen receptors in nuclei from human prostate carcinomas were characterized on the basis of their solubilization by, or resistance to, micrococcal nuclease. By this means, androgen receptors were assigned to three nuclear categories: those associated with nuclease-resistant structures, those associated with chromatin and those apparently uncommitted by association with either of these. Prostate carcinoma nuclei contained high concentrations (57-82% of total nuclear content) of nuclease-resistant androgen receptors. This was a different pattern from that observed previously for benign hypertrophic prostate epithelial nuclei which contained a variable high proportion of uncommitted androgen receptors. The differences could not be attributed to differential losses to cytosol, or to loss of functionality, as determined in vitro. The differences in distribution could reflect different responses of diseased cells to androgens, or the intervention of other factors more relevant to the disease process.