A major UDP-glucurnoyltransferase isoenzyme in rat liver (51 kDa), corresponding to androsterone glucuronidating activity, has been identified by immunoblot analysis. This isoenzyme is absent from Wistar rats exhibiting the low androsterone (LA) UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity phenotype. Northern blot analysis of total RNA from normal and androsterone glucuronidation deficient Wistar rats demonstrated that the mRNA encoding this protein was not synthesised. Differences in restriction fragment length observed on Southern blotting of genomic DNA from LA Wistar rats indicate that this inherited deficiency is the result of a deletion in the androsterone UDP-glucuronyltransferase gene.
