Androgen-repressed messages in the rat ventral prostate.

Poly (A)+ RNA from the prostates of both intact and castrated rats was translated in a message-dependent reticulocyte lysate, and the translation products were electrophoresed on SDS/polyacrylamide gels. Fluorography of these gels showed the expected disappearance, after castration, of the prostate steroid-binding proteins as well as a number of other androgen-dependent proteins. Two major (Mr 40,000 and 45,000) and several minor proteins appeared in the translation products of the castrated rat prostate RNA. Criss-cross liquid hybridization analysis between prostate poly (A+) RNA from intact and castrated rats also showed the disappearance of the abundant prostate steroid-binding protein sequences after castration and the synthesis of several new low to medium abundance sequences. Northern hybridization experiments demonstrated the presence of at least two, and possibly four androgen-repressed poly (A)+ RNA sequences. The most prominent of these, an RNA of 2,000 nucleotides, appeared within 2 days of castration, reaching a maximum on day 4 at a level approximately 400 times greater than the normal level. The other major sequence (a sequence of 1,000 nucleotides) appears after 4 days, reaching a peak between days 8 and 11. Sequences similar to these new RNAs could play an important role in the long-term resistance of prostatic cancer to hormone therapy in humans.