Translational control of specific uterine protein synthesis after estrogen induction.

The rate of leucine incorporation into a specific estrogen-induced protein of immature rat isolated by gel electrophoresis declines rapidly between 2-4 hr after estrogen stimulation in vivo followed by incubation in vitro. Actinomycin D present during the in vitro phase prevents this decline, and elicits a "superinduction" effect at 2 hr. Labeled induced protein remains stable during this time period, indicating that its decline is due to a reduction in synthesis capacity for the inducible protein, rather than to its degradation. A second injection of hormone at 3 hr has no effect on the reduced level of synthesis capacity for induced protein noted at 4 hr in the rat uterus.