Poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase in quail oviduct. Changes during estrogen and progesterone induction

THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FOLLOWING ENZYMES HAVE BEEN DETERMINED IN NUCLEI OF QUAIL OVIDUCTS IN RESPONSE TO EXOGENOUS STIMULATION OF THE BIRDS WITH DIETHYLSTILBESTROL, USED AS AN ESTROGEN ANALOGUE AND PROGESTERONE: DNA dependent DNA polymerase, DNA dependent RNA polymerase I and II and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) [=poly(ADP-Rib)] polymerase.During primary stimulation with the estrogen analogue the activities of the four DNA dependent polymerases increase to about the same degree. Upon withdrawal of the hormones the levels of the enzymes drop to values known from nuclei from unstimulated quail oviducts. The secondary stimulation with the estrogen analogue causes a significant increase only of the RNA polymerase II. The in vivo induction of avidin by progesterone in oviduct mucosa cells from quails, during the period of primary estrogen stimulation, is accompanied by an increase of RNA polymerase II activity and a marked decrease of poly(ADP-Rib) polymerase activity. The activities of RNA polymerase I and of poly(ADP-Rib) polymerase are not affected significantly by an exogenous administration of progesterone.