Production in vitro of mouse early pregnancy factor and purification to homogeneity

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Early pregnancy factor (EPF) has been produced in vitro by culture of estrous mouse oviducts and ovaries in Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium, with the addition of prolactin and mouse embryo culture medium. The pooled harvested medium was then subjected to immunoabsorption, electrofocusing and gel filtration. A fraction was isolated with pI 6.83 and MW 21,000 which was responsible for 90% of the recovered biological activity. It appeared to be homogeneous when analyzed by high-performance gel-permeation chromatography. SDS [sodium dodecyl sulfate] treatment showed that the molecule could be split into 3 peptides of MW 10,500, 7200 and 3400, the 1st having activity equivalent to the EPF component EPF-A from the oviduct, while the last 2 combined to give activity corresponding with the ovarian component EPF-B.