Chemical quantification of melanophore stimulating substances using polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis

Abstract

A chemical method for the quantification of melanophore stimulating substances was developed using polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. The method is superior to the in vitro frog skin bioassay in accuracy, precision and specificity, but not in sensitivity. However, for experimental investigations, the increased accuracy, precision and specificity are more important than sensitivity which can be overcome by pooling glands from two or three frogs. The specificity of the method (the major advantage) was demonstrated by its detection of not one (MSH), but three, melanophore stimulating substances in the pars intermedia of the frog, and all could be quantified separately.