Binding characteristics of estrogen receptor (ER) in Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) testis:: Different affinity for estrogens and xenobiotics from that of hepatic ER

An estrogen receptor (ER) was identified in cytosolic and nuclear fractions of the testis in a marine teleost, Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus). A single class of high affinity, low capacity, and displaceable binding sites was identified by saturation analysis, with a K(d) of 0.40 nM in cytosolic extracts and a K(d) of 0.33 nM in nuclear extracts. Competition studies demonstrated that the receptor was highly specific for estrogens (diethylstilbestrol > estradiol much greater than estriol = estrone) and also bound several antiestrogens. Testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone had much lower affinities for the receptor, whereas no displacement of specific binding occurred with 11-ketotestosterone or any of the C(21) maturation-inducing steroids. A variety of xenoestrogens, including o,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), chlordecone (Kepone), nonylphenol, hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the mycotoxin zearalenone, bound to the receptor with relatively low binding affinities, 10(-3) to 10(-5) that of estradiol. A comparison of the binding affinities of various ligands for the testicular ER and the hepatic ER in this species revealed that the testicular ER was saturated at a lower [(3)H]estradiol concentration (1 nM vs. 4 nM). The binding affinities of several compounds, including testosterone and nafoxidine, exhibited marked differences for the two ERs; and most of the estrogens and xenoestrogens tested had higher binding affinities for the testicular receptor. Minor amounts of estradiol (0.12 ng/g tissue/h) were produced by testicular tissue fragments incubated in vitro, and estradiol was detected in male Atlantic croaker plasma. The identification of a testicular ER and evidence that estradiol is produced by the testes in croaker suggest that estrogens participate in the hormonal control of testicular function in teleosts.