Covalent immobilization of the estrogen receptor to a cationic N-hydroxysuccinimide ester derivative of agarose

Covalent immobilization of the soluble estrogen receptor from a rabbit uterus to N-hydroxysuccinimide ester derivative of agarose is shown. At first, the condition for the immobilization reaction was examined. The non-immobilized receptor was extracted with 0.4 M NaCl-containing medium. Sixty seven to 80% of the input receptor were immobilized within 30 min at 0°C in 0.1 M HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid, pH 7.4). The immobilized [3H]estradiol (3,17β-dihydroxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene) -receptor complex was stable for at least 24 h. The optimum pH for immobilization was 7.4. Ca2+ or Na+ ions in the reaction media decreased the yields in immobilization of the receptor to the reagent with an electrostatically positive spacer arm. Next, influences of immobilization on the receptor were examined. The dissociation rate of [3H]estradiol from the immobilized receptor was a little slower than that from the native receptor. The estrogen-free immobilized receptor was saturated by incubating with 10 nM [3H]estradiol for 10 h at 0°C in 0.1 M HEPES (pH 7.4). From Scatchard plot analysis, it was found that the hormone binding affinity in the immobilized receptor decreased to approximately one-fourth of that in the native receptor.