Genetic regulation of androgen-induced accumulation of mouse renal β-glucuronidase messenger ribonucleic acid

Mouse kidney β-glucuronidase is induced by androgens in a receptor-dependent fashion. Genetic regulatory mutations have been described which govern this response. In mice carrying the Gus-r^a allele (A/J), the induction of enzyme activity is 3–5 times greater than in animals with the Gus-r^b allele (C57BL/6J). To study this hormonal and genetic control at the molecular level, we measured changes in β-glucuronidase mRNA concentrations in these two mouse strains using cloned cDNA. The specificity of the regulation was assessed by following changes in the concentration of kidney androgen-regulated protein (KAP) mRNA, which is also under androgen control in mouse kidney. Female mice were treated with Silastic implants that released 120 μg testosterone/day over a 20-day time course. Induction of specific mRNA was analyzed by either Northern blot hybridization or a more quantitative assay in which renal poly(A) RNA was covalently bound to aminophenylthioether paper discs. The induction of β-glucuronidase mRNA was about 10-fold higher in the strain carrying the Gus-r^a regulatory allele, indicating that the Gus-r locus controls the β-glucuronidase structural gene (Gus-s) at the level of mRNA accumulation. Regulation by Gus-r was specific for β-glucuronidase mRNA as kidney androgen-regulated protein mRNA accumulation did not differ between these two strains of mice after androgen treatment.