title: Isolation and characterization of fin whale prolactin.
abstract: A highly purified prolactin preparation has been obtained from fin whale pituitaries by extraction with acid acetone. salt precipitation, isoelectric fractionation, and exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-CELLULOSE. Fin whale prolactin was isolated in a yield of 250 mg/kg wet weight tissue. It was found to have a molecular weight (SDS disc gel electrophoresis) of 23,600 daltons and an alpha-helix content (circular dichroism) of 50%. The amino acid composition and circular dichroism spectra were very similar to those of porcine prolactin. The partial amino acid sequence has been determined by the method of fluorescein-isothiocyanate. Fin whale prolactin was found to be 80% as potent as ovine prolactin with regard to pigeon crop-sac assay.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002591:Cetacea; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004586:Electrophoresis; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000032:analysis*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014907:Whales
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D011388:Prolactin