Modified forms of vasopressin and oxytocin in a bovine pineal preparation

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Abstract
A bovine pineal acid extract displays a vasotocin‐like bioactivity in several bioassays, and is recognized by antibodies against the Pro‐Arg‐Gly‐amide ending common to vasopressin and vasotocin. By using molecular sieve filtration and reversed‐phase HPLC, a vasopressin‐ and oxytocin‐like peptide was isolated from this pineal preparation, while no evidence for a vasotocin‐like peptide was obtained. The isolated neuropeptides contain a modified amino acid at position 2. This structural difference with authentic pituitary vasopressin and oxytocin may alter their biological and immunological properties, which have been interpreted as vasotocin‐like, and thus underlies the controversy concerning the existence of vasotocin in the mammalian pineal gland.

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