Isolation and partial characterization of prolactin from equine pituitary gland (hypophysis)

Highly purified equine prolactin was prepared from equine pituitary glands (hypophysis) by serial extractions with water at pH 5.5, 0.1 M (NH4)2SO4 at pH 4.0, and 0.25 M (NH4)2SO4 at pH 5.5 to remove other hormones, and then finally with 70% ethanol at pH 9.3 to 10.0 to extract prolactin. Preliminary purification of the extract involved salting out other substances with 0.1% NaCl at pH 9.0. Prolactin was precipitated out by adding three times the volume of 95% ethanol at 4 C. This prolactin preparation had a biological potency of 24 IU/mg. Further purification by isoelectric focusing on a pH gradient of 5 to 7 gave three prolactin components with the following characteristics: isoelectric point 5.8, 5.7, and 5.25; biological potencies (IU/mg) 35.6, 19.6, and 11.3. The major component had a molecular weight of 25,000, an isoelectric point of 5.8, and a biological potency of 35.6 IU/mg. Antiserum produced against this component did not cross-react with equine follicular stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and growth hormone, but did cross-react with ovine and bovine prolactin. Human and murine prolactin had little cross-reactivity with the equine prolactin antiserum.