Biochemical evidence for 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D receptor macromolecules in parathyroid, pancreatic, pituitary, and placental tissues

DNA-cellulose chromatography has been recently employed in our laboratory as an extremely effective and sensitive technique with which to identify macromolecules which specifically bind 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-(OH)₂D). Chromatography of cytosols prepared from rachitic chick intestine, parathyroid gland, pancreas, pituitary gland, and normal rat placenta all demonstrate binding components for 1,25-(OH)₂D which interact with the DNA affinity ligand under low salt conditions (< 0.15M), and can be eluted as a single macromolecular peak during a linear KCl gradient between 0.25-0.30M. Further, sucrose gradient analysis of these DNA-cellulose purified components under high salt conditions (0.3M KCl) indicates a common sedimentation coefficient of 3.3S. Since the receptor properties of this macromolecule in rachitic chick intestine have been previously characterized, it seems likely that these components in the parathyroid, pituitary, pancreas, and placenta represent typical receptors for 1,25-(OH)₂D.