The transformation of the cytoplasmic oestradiol–receptor complex into the nuclear complex in a uterine cell-free system

Experiments performed with a cell-free system in tris–EDTA buffer, pH 7.4, indicate that the high-speed supernatant fraction of the rat uterus contains all the factors necessary to transform the 8S cytoplasmic oestradiol–receptor complex to the nuclear complex. The transformation is temperature-dependent. This nuclear complex was extracted in the form of a 5S particle with 0.4m-KCl from sediments of either uterine or heart nuclei that had been incubated together with the cytoplasmic soluble fraction of the uterus at 2°C for 30min. This complex can also be obtained similarly from the soluble fraction of the uterus, incubated in the absence of nuclei. Previous warming of the soluble fraction to 37°C for 7min was necessary for the successful extraction of the nuclear particle under these conditions of incubation. After an incubation of the transformed complex with the nuclear sediment at 37°C for 7min, the 5S complex was extractable from the uterine nuclear sediment but not from the heart nuclear sediment, which may indicate the tissue specificity of the nuclear acceptor sites for the transformed complex. The extracted uterine nuclear complex sediments in the 5S region, but whether it is the native complex or a subunit or other part of the native complex resulting from the extraction with salt is unknown.