Nuclear binding sites for reverse triiodothyronine in human placenta

It has been generally believed that reverse triiodothyronine (reverse T3, rT3) is biologically inactive. Nevertheless the serum rT3 level is very high in fetal life, when the serum calcium level is higher than in the maternal. For this hypercalcemia in fetal life, there is no convincing evidence that any major calcium regulating hormone is responsible. And the assumption that rT3 may be concerned in active transport of calcium at placenta could be suggested. In this study nuclear protein was isolated from human placenta by extraction with 0.4M KCl buffer and binding studies utilizing radioactive rT3 were carried out. Scatchard analysis presented a curvilinear pattern, suggesting two classes of receptors: One with a association constant (Ka) of 1.14 X 10(8) M-1 and a limited capacity (Bmax) of 32.0 X 10(-15) mol/100 micrograms DNA and the other with Ka = 4.34 X 10(6) and Bmax = 454 X 10(-15). Its relative affinities for several thyroid hormone analogues were calculated. If the affinity for rT3 was assigned l, that for triiodothyronine would be 1/40, thyroxine: 1/63, Triiodothyroacetic acid: 1/18. Sulfhydryl agents affecting these binding characteristics were also studied. The Ka was not substantially changed but the Bmax was notably decreased by dithiothreitol (43%) and 2-mercaptoethanol (26%). In liver nuclei, the binding characteristics of rT3 receptor were analyzed for comparison. In this case only a single class of low affinity-high capacity rT3 binding site with a Ka of 6.69 X 10(6) was detected, a finding which was apparently different from those in placenta.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)