A Similarity in the Effect of Estrogen and Androgen on the Synthesis of Ribonucleic Acid in the Cell Nuclei of Gonadohormone-Sensitive Tissues

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Abstract
Experimental evidence is presented apropos of a persistent question regarding in vitro RNA synthesis by nuclear pre-parations from appropriate target tissues after the administration of estrogen or androgen in vivo: that is, whether the quantitative stim-ulation of RNA synthesis is reflected equally in all RNA species or preferentially in particular RNA species. We offer 2 lines of evidence favoring the latter proposal. First, it is shown that RNA polymerase activity in certain tissues previously treated with one of the sex hormones was more sensitive than the RNA polymerase activity of control tissues to inhibition by low in vitro concentrations of actino-rnycin D. Second, the base composition and nearest-neighbor frequency of RNA synthesized in vitro were altered by hormone manipulation of the target tissues. The changes in RNA nearest neighbor nucleotide frequency, provoked by testosterone (on prostate) and estrogen (on uterus) were remarkably similar. It is suggested that the 2 sex hormones affect RNA synthesis in their respective target tissues by augmenting transcription preferentially along particular regions of the DNA genome which synthesize nucleolar ribonucleic acids.