Rat recombinant androgen receptor binding assay for the detection of compounds with (anti)androgenic potential

Method Description

The Androgen Receptor Binding Assay (ARBA) uses a rat recombinant protein, comprising the hinge region and Ligand Binding Domain (LBD) of the receptor, tagged with thioredoxin.

It should be noted that the amino acid sequence of the rat receptor is homologous to the human one. This test measures the capability of a chemical to bind to the androgen receptor, by using a radioactive readout. The binding assays do not allow discrimination between agonists and antagonists. The assay is a non-cell based assay.

These assays investigate the potential for interaction of a chemical substance with nuclear receptors for endogenous hormones and as such investigate early events within an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) associated with perturbation of the endocrine system. Such assays could be used within an Integrated Testing Strategy (ITS) or Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) for identification of endocrine disruptors.