THE CHROMATOGRAPHY ON DEAE-CELLULOSE OF PITUITARY EXTRACTS FROM SEVERAL SPECIES

Abstract

SUMMARY The distribution, potency and yield of growth hormone (GH), prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) activities and the electrophoretic behaviour on starch gel have been studied in fractions obtained by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose of pituitary extracts from man, sheep, ox, pig and whale. In none of the species examined was the distribution of hormonal activities identical. GH, TSH and FSH in the sheep and ox, and GH and LH in the pig and whale, appeared in corresponding fractions. The prolactin activities from the five species were found in closely similar elution volumes. The hormonal activities of the human extract occurred over a much smaller range of distribution volumes than those of the other species. The GH fractions from all five species and the prolactins from sheep and ox were relatively potent preparations. Starch gel electrophoresis showed a number of components in all fractions. The distribution of components in corresponding fractions was different for each species, although some components had similar mobilities. These results add to the growing evidence of the species-specific nature of pituitary hormones and to the information available for evolving comprehensive fractionation systems for each species.