Oestradiol stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation and hormone binding activity of its own receptor in a cell-free system.

Recent experiments have shown that calf uterus oestrogen receptor exists in a tyrosine-phosphorylated hormone binding form and in non-phosphorylated, non-hormone binding form. We report here that physiological concentrations of oestradiol in complex with the receptor stimulate the calf uterus receptor kinase that converts the non-hormone binding receptor into hormone binding receptor through phosphorylation of the receptor on tyrosine. The activity of this enzyme has been followed by reactivation of hormone binding sites and phosphorylation on tyrosine of calf uterus phosphatase-inactivated receptor. Phosphorylation of the receptor has been demonstrated by interaction of kinase 32P-phosphorylated proteins with anti-receptor antibody followed either by sucrose gradient centrifugation or SDS-PAGE of the immunoprecipitated proteins. Hormone stimulation of the kinase is inhibited by receptor occupancy of the anti-oestrogen tamoxifen. Oestradiol-receptor complex increases the affinity of the kinase for the dephosphorylated receptor. Findings of this report are consistent with the observation that several protein tyrosine kinases that are associated with peptide hormone receptors are stimulated by the binding of the hormone to the receptor. This is the first report on the activation of a tyrosine kinase by a steroid hormone. The finding that hormones can regulate their own receptor binding activity through a tyrosine kinase is also new.