Ornithine Decarboxylase mRNAs in Murine Kidney: Structure and Regulation by Androgens

Physiological and synthetic androgens bring about their actions in murine kidney via androgen receptor-mediated mechanisms in a fashion similar to that of other steroid hormones through their respective receptor proteins in a variety of target tissues. Unlike some other steroid-responsive tissues or cell lines, in which large amounts of a few proteins are induced (O’Malley and Means, 1974; O’Malley et al., 1979; Tata and Smith, 1979), androgen action in mouse kidney involves induction of many proteins that are of low abundancy, with none predominating as a percentage of total protein concentration. For example, two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of soluble renal proteins could not reveal any major differences in their profile in untreated and androgen-induced mice (Swank et al., 1978). These considerations, along with well-established mouse genetics, render the murine kidney an attractive model system to study steroid hormone action and, in particular, to investigate regulation of a number of gene products within a single cell type and by a single steroid hormone.