Soluble complexes between steroid hormones and target-tissue receptors bind specifically to target-tissue chromatin.

Cytoplasmic fractions containing steroid hormone receptor were prepared from rat prostate and uterine tissues, incubated first with [(3)H]dihydrotestosterone or [(3)H]estradiol, and then with their respective target and non-target tissue chromatins. Only prostate and testis chromatin bound the dihydrotestosterone-receptor complex from prostate cytosol extensively. Similarly, uterine chromatin bound more estradiol-receptor complex from uterus than did liver, spleen, or lung chromatin. Complexes between dihydrotestosterone or estradiol with cytosols prepared from liver and spleen bound less extensively, and similarly, to all chromatins. Analogous results are described for the [(3)H]progesterone-receptor complex from chick oviduct cytosol binding to oviduct chromatin. These studies suggest that the chromatin of all steroid hormone target tissues may contain "acceptor sites" for their respective hormone-receptor complexes, and are thus programmed to receive the complex as it is transferred into the nucleus from the cytoplasm of the cell.