J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 260, Issue 18, 9988-9993, Aug, 1985
The subunit structure of the follitropin receptor. Chemical cross- linking of the solubilized follitropin-receptor complex
AA Branca, PM Sluss, RA Smith and LE Reichert Jr
Homobifunctional cross-linkers were utilized to characterize high affinity
(Ka = 2.2 X 10(-10) M-1) follitropin (FSH) receptors in immature bovine
testis. Following the formation of radioiodinated human FSH
(125I-hFSH)-receptor complexes, the membranes were solubilized with Triton
X-100 or beta-octyl glucoside and the supernatants from ultracentrifugation
(220,000 X g) subjected to gel filtration (Sephadex G-200) to separate the
labeled hormone-receptor complexes from the unbound 125I-hFSH. The
appearance of a high molecular weight (greater than or equal to 200,000)
radioactive component in the elution profile was abolished when an excess
of unlabeled hFSH was included in the initial incubation. After
concentration by ultrafiltration, the 125I- hFSH-receptor complex, as well
as the free hormone, was treated with a variety of chemical cross-linkers
and subjected to analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis and autoradiography. Bands of Mr = 65,000 and 83,000
observed in the autoradiograph of the hormone-receptor complex was not
present in autoradiographs of free 125I-hFSH, nor were they present when an
excess of unlabeled hFSH was included in the initial binding incubation
mixtures. The 65,000 and 83,000 Mr bands were, therefore, considered to
represent cross-linked complexes of labeled hFSH (Mr = 38,000) or its
subunits (hFSH alpha, Mr = 16,000; hFSH beta, Mr = 21,000) and components
of the FSH receptor. The bands were observed on autoradiographs when the
extraction of the membranes was performed with either Triton X-100 or
beta-octyl glucoside and when cross-linking was accomplished with
disuccinimidyl suberate, ethylene glycol bis(succinimidyl succinate), or
bis[2- (succinimido oxycarbonyl)oxyethyl]sulfone. The Mr of the native FSH
receptor in the calf testis has been estimated at 146,000. Our studies
demonstrate the multimeric nature of the FSH receptor. However, FSH is also
composed of subunits, so that due to the complexity of the system, it was
not possible to arrive at a precise assessment of the Mr or quaternary
structure of the receptor subunits.