title: Purification and characterization of porcine prorelaxin.
abstract: Relaxin is a two-chain 6-kDa peptide hormone. It is a member of the insulin family of peptides and is produced mainly during pregnancy to prepare the reproductive tract for birth. In the pig, relaxin is produced mainly by ovarian luteal cells. It is processed via the regulated pathway from a larger (18 kDa) precursor, prorelaxin. Protocols have been described for the purification of mature relaxin from the ovaries of pregnant gilts. Multiple forms of relaxin have been detected during isolation due to exopeptidase trimming of the peptide chains. To date, such trimming events have prevented purification of the larger relaxin precursor. Described here is a method for the isolation of milligram amounts of homogeneous and bioactive prorelaxin from porcine ovaries.
authors.affiliation: Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Layden
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Tregear
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D010053:Ovary / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012065:Relaxin / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D011498:Protein Precursors; C038656:prorelaxin; D012065:Relaxin