Membrane Localization and Rapid Non-Transcriptional Action of the Androgen Receptor

Androgens play a major role in male sexual development and in prostate growth during later life (for a review, see Brinkman 2001). They function by binding a cytoplasmic androgen receptor (AR) that is present in target cells in an inactive state in association with molecular chaperones and co-chaperones. Upon hormone binding, the receptor is thought to dissociate from the inactivating proteins and is transported into the nucleus where it binds discrete nucleotide sequences to modulate the expression of specific genes. In the nucleus, the AR also negatively regulates the expression of genes via protein-protein interaction (for review see Cato and Peterziel, 1998).