Radioimmunochemical characterization of ACTH-like peptides in the antropyloric mucosa.

Extracts of feline and human antropyloric mucosa contain two ACTH immunoreactive components. The main molecular component is radioimmunochemically and gel chromatographically indistinguishable from pituitary ACTH (1–39). Upon chromatography at two different pH, the main component and ACTH (1–39) displays identical changes in elution behaviour. In addition, antropyloric extracts contain a minor ACTH immunoreactive component, eluting in the void volume on Sephadex G-50 columns. The nature of this component is still undecided, but circumstantial evidence suggest that it may represent a biosynthetic precursor to the main ACTH-like component.