Isolation, characterization and amino acid sequence of beta-lipotropin from human pituitary glands

Beta-Lipotropin has been purified to homogeneity from human pituitary glands. It consists of 89 amino acids with a molecular weight of 11 700. The lipolytic potency of the human hormone is identical to that of ovine beta-LPH. The amino acid sequence has been determined as follows: (see formula in text). When compared with the structure of the ovine hormone, the sequence at the NH2-terminal 33 residues exhibits considerable variability.