Preferential binding of androgen to transcriptionally active chromatin in rat prostate

Rat ventral prostate chromatin was fractionated by the Micrococcal nuclease procedure of Berkowitz and Riggs (Biochemistry 20, 7284-7290, 1981). Four chromatin fractions were obtained and analyzed by gel electrophoresis for their protein and DNA components, by hybridization of their DNAs with an androgen regulated cDNA for transcribed DNA sequence, and by [3H]dihydrotestosterone exchange assay and steroid competition experiment for specific androgen binding. All four chromatin fractions contained a complete complement of histones and DNA in multiples of about 200 base pairs, indicating repeating nucleosome structure. The active chromatin fraction, which has the shortest nucleosome repeats of 186 basepairs, was enriched in the androgen regulated sequence and bound androgen. These results correlate androgen binding sites with transcribed DNA sequence and structurally distinctive domain of chromatin in the rat prostate.