Preparation of human growth hormone by gel filtration

Abstract

1.(1) A simple method for preparation of human pituitary growth hormone has been described. It involves extraction of homogenized glands, ammonium sulfate fractionation and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. All procedures were performed in solutions of near neutral pH.2.(2) The active product yielded a single peak when refiltrated in columns packed with Sephadex G-100, G-75, and G-50, respectively, and a single sedimentation boundary in the ultracentrifuge.3.(3) The yield human pituitary growth hormone was about 5 mg/g frozen whole pituitaries and the material contained negligible amounts of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone and thyrotropic hormone.4.(4) Subsequent zone electrophoresis in agarose suspensions revealed the presence in the active material of more than one molecular species with growth-stimulating activity. No significant difference in specific activity in these components has been established.