Binding of dihydrotestosterone to a nuclear-envelope fraction from the male rat liver.

Intact nuclear 'ghosts' containing small amounts of DNA were obtained from rat liver. Incubation of radiolabelled dihydrotestosterone with isolated nuclear-envelope fraction from male rat liver resulted in specific binding of the dihydrotestosterone to the membranes. Optimal binding occurred at 20 degrees C after 20h incubation. Storage for 2 weeks at -80 degrees C resulted in little loss of specific binding. Scatchard analysis revealed a class of binding sites with a KD of 23.2 nM. Pronase and heat treatment destroyed the binding site. Androgens and glucocorticoids competed for labelled dihydrotestosterone binding to the ghosts, whereas oestrogens did not compete. Castration 24h before preparation of ghosts did not alter the binding site, and a similar class of binding sites was identified on female rat liver nuclear envelopes.