The effects of interstitial cell-stimulating hormone, its subunits, and recombinants on isolated rat leydig cells

Abstract

The stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation and testosterone synthesis in isolated rat Leydig cells by ovine and bovine ICSH, their subunits prepared by a new, mild procedure (dissociation of subunits at pH 3 and salt fractionation) and the recombined hormones have been studied. Whereas the isolated subunits exhibit less than 0.2% of the potency of the native hormones, recombination of the subunits results in full restoration of the biological activity. In contrast to this, recombination of the subunits prepared by a countercurrent distribution method resulted in only partial regeneration of the biological activity. The ovine hormone was found to be twice as active as the bovine ICSH. Both heterologous hybrids of the subunits of the ovine and bovine hormones were significantly more active than the bovine hormone. The utility of the isolated rat Leydig cell system as a rapid, sensitive bioassay for ICSH is also discussed.