Adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and adrenocortical cytosol protein synthesis.

In cultures of mouse adrenocortical tumor cells (Sato's minimal deviation Y-1 clonal strain), the acceleration of steroid biosynthesis after exposure to adrenocorticotropic hormone or cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate is maximum within 15 to 60 minutes and precedes any significant increase in labeling of protein with [4,5-(3)H]leucine. However, when cytosol proteins are separated by acrylamidegel electrophoresis, rapid changes in the amount and labeling of several protein fractions are evident in less than 30 minutes and are no longer evident within 60 minutes. This finding supports the proposal that the effects of tropic hormones and their intracellular mediators involve rapid selective effects on protein synthesis.