Differential synthesis of ribonucleic acid in prostatic nuclei: evidence for selective gene transcription induced by androgens.

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Abstract
Actinomycin D, in vivo and in vitro, selectively suppressed the enhancement of RNA synthesis by testosterone. The nearest-neighbor frequency of RNA synthesized by isolated nuclei of androgen-treated animals was completely different from that of control castrates. Actinomycin D at low concentrations abolished this difference in vitro. The increase in RNA synthesis in prostatic nuclei after androgen administration to castrated rats occurs primarily at a selective site of genes. This special site may be nucleolus and its associated chromatin. The normal function of prostatic nucleolus and its associated chromatin or nucleolus organizer is probably androgen-dependent and plays a central role in androgenic control of RNA and protein synthesis.