LOCALIZATION OF ANDROGEN RECEPTORS IN DERMAL FIBROBLASTS, GROWN IN-VITRO, FROM NORMAL SUBJECTS AND FROM PATIENTS WITH ANDROGEN INSENSITIVITY SYNDROME

Human genital skin fibroblasts show the androgen receptor (AR) as brig ht red granules (0.5 mu m in diameter) after treatment with one (of 3) primary polyclonal antibody and a secondary antibody linked to alkali ne phosphatase. Almost all AR were cytoplasmic in 12 normal strains an d in 8 strains from patients with partial (PAIS) and 6 with complete a ndrogen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). When 25.8 nM 5-alpha-dihydrotes tosterone (DHT) or methyltrienolone was added to the medium, some AR w ere translocated into the nucleus in 13 experiments with 8 strains of normal fibroblasts; of 8 strains of patients with PAIS 3 failed to tra nslocate to a detectable extent in the presence of androgen in the med ium and none of the 6 strains from patients with CAIS translocated.