Estrogenic activity of the insecticide kepone on the chicken oviduct.

Kepone induces ovalbumin and conalbumin synthesis in explants of chick oviduct in vitro by acting as a weak estrogen. It binds to the nuclear estrogen receptor and is antagonized by the antiestrogen tamoxifen. Kepone also induces egg white protein synthesis in vivo by direct interaction with estrogen receptors and by indirectly increasing the concentration of progesterone in the serum.