The isolation, purification and some properties of pheromaxein, the pheromonal steroid-binding protein, in porcine submaxillary glands and saliva

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pheromaxein, the 16-androstene steroid-binding protein with a relative molecular mass of 15 000 was isolated in sub-milligram quantities from the submaxillary gland and saliva of the Gottingen miniature boar, after a fourfold purification involving the following methods: ultrafiltration for submaxillary gland cytosols and ethanol precipitation for saliva, Concanavalin-A-Sepharose affinity chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, 'Extractigel-D' affinity chromatography (to remove sodium dodecyl sulphate) and fast protein-liquid chromatography. Yields of purified pheromaxein obtained after fast protein-liquid chromatography represented 10–20% of total protein present in an ultrafiltrate of a submaxillary gland cytosol. Fast protein-liquid chromatography separated the α- and β-charge isomers of pheromaxein which were shown to have isoelectric points of 4·78 and 5·35 respectively on flat-bed isoelectric focusing. Some data are provided for the variable occurrence of the isomeric forms of pheromaxein in relation to different breeds of pig. Five 16-unsaturated steroids showed the highest binding to pheromaxein. Other steroids of the 5α- and 5β-androstane series also showed some binding to pheromaxein, i.e. 17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one (19·2%), with 5α-androstan-3-one, which has a similar urinous odour to 5α-androst-16-en-3-one, showing the greatest binding (42·6%) relative to 5α-androst-16-en-3-one (100%). J. Endocr. (1988) 118, 47–57