The purpose of this work is to review stability and activation propert
ies of type I receptor, in order to explain the reasons for its extrem
e in vitro instability. We demonstrate that the treatment of rat kidne
y cytosol with H2O2 prevents aldosterone binding, DNA/steroid-receptor
complex interactions, and prevents the receptor thermal inactivation.
In contrast, exogenous sulfhydryl reducing reagents are necessary to
insure maximum binding of mineralocorticoid receptor and DNA/steroid-r
eceptor interaction. However, the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol in
thermal induced incubations reverts the H2O2 protection. We also demon
strate that contaminations with free or sequestered iron are harmful f
or both, receptor binding capacity (in a reversible form) and for horm
one-receptor/DNA binding properties (in a partially reversible form).
We propose a sulfhydryl oxidative mechanism for type I mineralocortico
id receptor inactivation in which iron contaminants might accelerate t
his process by oxidative catalysis. We also demonstrate that when thio
l groups are blocked by specific reagents such as N-ethyl-maleimide or
dithionitrobenzoic acid, type I sites loose binding capacity, but the
protein is protected from oxidation as well as inactivation.