Age-associated changes in the estrogen receptor-active proteases of female rabbit liver

Female rabbit liver cytosol contains a receptor-modifying activity that converts the 250,000 estrogen receptor of liver and uterine cytosol to a 37,000 form. There is an age-dependent increase in this receptor-active protease and in the general protease activity of rabbit liver cytosol, measured with [14C]casein. Sephacryl S-200 chromatography of liver cytosol shows that in the young animal (5 weeks old) the major receptor-modifying activity elutes near the void volume, while in the older animal (13 weeks old) activities having lower molecular weights are present. The general protease activity elution profile is similar to the receptor-active protease profile for the 5-week-old rabbit but not the 13-week-old rabbit. The liver cytosol of the older animal has a high molecular weight protease active toward [14C]casein but not toward the estrogen receptor. The changes in the estrogen receptor forms and the receptor-modifying activity profiles of liver cytosol that occur during development in the rabbit suggest that receptor-modifying activity may initially be associated with the estrogen receptor to form a high molecular weight complex.