Steroid binding macromolecules in ovaries and parovarian cysts in human subjects.

Abstract

Steroid binding macromolecules were investigated in normal ovaries in human subjects. The 248,000g homogenate supernatant was used for cytosol. Estrogen, progestogen and androgen bindings sedimentation coefficients were mainly situated in the 4–5S region. All these steroid bindings near the 6–8S region were scanty in amount or degraded during sucrose gradient centrifugation. On the other hand, steroid binding proteins around the 4–5S region contained weak steroid binding proteins as well. Equilibrium studies showed that the dissociation constant of all steroid-macromolecule bindings existed between 10-9M and 10-10M. Ligand specificity for each macromolecule was determined. It is suggested that the characteristics of these macromolecules are compatible with steroid receptors. Follicular ovaries, corpus luteum, ovaries where corpora lutea were resected, polycystic ovaries and a parovarian cyst contained steroid binding macromolecules.