Autoradiographic localization of androgen binding in the developing mouse prostate.

The ontogeny of expression of [3H]dihydrotestosterone (3H-DHT) binding in the developing mouse prostate was studied using steroid autoradiography. At all prenatal stages examined, 3H-DHT binding in the urogenital sinus was restricted to the stromal tissue compartment. This pattern of binding continued until approximately day 4 of postnatal life, when some epithelial cells began to exhibit nuclear localization of 3H-DHT. The pattern of binding was asynchronous within the prostate, with the onset of nuclear labeling seemingly correlated with canalization of prostatic ducts. By 3 weeks of age, virtually all prostatic epithelial cells exhibited nuclear labeling with 3H-DHT. The significance of these results, with respect to the role of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in hormone-induced development, are discussed.