Association of the glucocorticoid hormone receptor with ribonucleic acid.

The hypothesis that the glucocorticoid hormone receptor interacts with RNA has been tested in cultured rat hepatoma cells. The receptor was covalently labeled with radioactive dexamethasone mesylate, and putative RNA-receptor complexes were stabilized by either cell-free crosslinking using formaldehyde or irradiation of intact cells. After chemical cross-linking in vitro, the receptor displayed the buoyant density of a ribonucleoprotein in CsCl gradients. After photochemical crosslinking in cells labeled with radioactive uridine, the receptor analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was carrying labeled ribonucleotides.