Biosynthetic rates of proteins having the characteristics of glucocorticoid receptors in adipocytes of mature and senescent rats.

An affinity chromatography technique has been utilized to compare the rates of putative glucocorticoid receptor biosynthesis in epididymal fat pad adipocytes of mature and senescent Wistar rats. Biosynthetic rates appear to be linear for at least 3 hours in both age groups, but are reduced by about one-half in the senescent cells. In contrast, incorporation of labeled amino acids into total protein is not altered with aging in this system. Thus, reduction in putative glucocorticoid receptor biosynthetic rate may reflect the effects of senescence on the expression of only a small part of the genome.