The presence of progesterone receptors in the sexual skin of the monkey.

R5020(17,21-dimethyl-19-nor-4,9-pregnadiene-3,20-dione)-binding components with sedimentation coefficient of 8S were detected in sexual skin cytosols from estrogen-primed ovariectomized Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata fuscata). In contrast, little 8S binding was found in similar preparations from the abdominal skin. The dissociation constants and the number of binding sites of the components were 1.6 x 10(-10)M and 36 fmoles/mg cytosol protein, respectively. The 8S binding components were specific for progestational compounds. Incubation with pronase abolished the 8S binding. Thermal experiments revealed the thermolabile nature of the components. Moreover, the concentration of the R5020-binding components was markedly increased by estradiol-17 beta 3-benzoate injections. We conclude from these results that the cytosols from the sexual skin of estrogen-primed female monkeys contain progesterone receptors.