Prostatic binding protein. A steriod-binding protein secreted by rat prostate

Rat prostatic cytosol contains a high concentration of a prostatic binding protein with peculiar steroid-binding properties. Indeed, in spite of a relatively low affinity, charcoal adsorption can be used for its measurement. Furthermore, the binding is not specific for particular steroids and increases very strongly after delipidation. In delipidated cytosol the concentration of the binding site is 3.1 micronmol/g protein and the apparent affinity for pregenolone 1.7 X 10(6) M-1. The high concentration of prostatic binding protein in prostatic fluid shows that this substance is secreted by the prostate. Prostatic binding protein has the following physicochemical characteristics: it is precipitated by ammonium sulfate between 50 and 70% saturation; the elution position from a Sephadex G-100 column corresponds to a molecular weight of 51000; it sediments in sucrose density gradients at 3.7 S and is eluted from DEAE-cellulose columns at about 0.25 M KCl. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the binding activity coincides with the major cytosolic protein band. This band has the same mobility as serum albumin in 7% gels, but a higher mobility in more concentrated gels.