Purification of human epidermal growth factor (urogastrone) from urine

Human epidermal growth factor has been isolated from a concentrated chromatographic eluate of human urine. The purification method utilizes six chromatographic steps including adsorption to aminoethylcellulose (AE-11), gel filtration on Sephadex G-50, carboxymethylcellulose (CM-52) chromatography, ion-exchange HPLC and reverse-phase HPLC. The final product appears homogeneous and identical to pure gamma-urogastrone when analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reverse-phase HPLC using two eluent systems. The yield of the method described above allowed the development of a sensitive radioimmunoassay system for this growth factor.     

Purification and characterization of a low molecular weight transforming growth factor from the urine of melanoma patients

A low Mr human transforming growth factor (TGF) present in melanoma patients' urine has been purified approximately 200,000-fold to apparent homogeneity. Initial purification of an acid-soluble fraction of urine was achieved by Bio-Gel P-30 gel filtration chromatography in 1 M acetic acid. TGF activities were demonstrated in the Mr ranges of 30,000 and 6,000-10,000. These competed with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for binding to A431 membrane receptors and induced anchorage-independent growth of untransformed fibroblasts. The low Mr TGF activity obtained from P-30 chromatography was purified to apparent homogeneity by two sequential reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography steps with a mu Bondapak C18 column first using a linear gradient of acetonitrile going from 0-60% in 120 min and then by rechromatography of the activity over the same column using a shallower gradient of acetonitrile going from 20-40% in 160 min. The isoelectric point of the melanoma patient-derived urinary TGF was determined to be 6.2, which is distinct from that for human EGF. Amino acid composition analysis of the purified urinary TGF (uTGF) revealed that it is composed of at least 42 amino acid residues with a minimum estimated Mr of 4,545. Compositional analysis further revealed distinct similarities and differences between the uTGF, human EGF and TGFs secreted by various transformed human and rodent cell lines.     

Alpha-transforming growth factor secreted by untransformed bovine anterior pituitary cells in culture. II. Identification using a sequence-specific monoclonal antibody

Untransformed bovine anterior pituitary cells cultured in serum-free defined medium secrete an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like peptide with an amino acid composition similar to rat or human alpha-transforming growth factor (alpha TGF). To further characterize the bovine pituitary alpha TGF, it was compared to a human alpha TGF partially purified from the conditioned medium of a human melanoma cell line. An anti-alpha TGF monoclonal antibody, MF9, was produced from hybridomas derived from mice immunized with a 17-residue synthetic peptide corresponding to the carboxyl-terminal sequence of rat alpha TGF. The hybridoma supernatants were initially screened for the ability to immunoprecipitate 125I-peptide and then tested for recognition of human alpha TGF. Only 2 of 36 antipeptide antibodies recognized the native alpha TGF. The binding of 125I-peptide to MF9 was displaced by human alpha TGF but not by EGF. Bovine pituitary alpha TGF also displaced the binding of 125I-peptide to MF9 in a similar manner to human alpha TGF. Both iodinated human and bovine pituitary alpha TGF were immunoprecipitated by MF9 whereas 125I-EGF was not. Recognition of alpha TGF by MF9 was strongly dependent on sulfhydryl reduction of the growth factors, suggesting that synthetic peptides representing sulfhydryl-rich protein are not ideal immunogens. Tryptic digests of both 125I-alpha TGFs chromatographed to give a single, indistinguishable peak of iodinated material on a reverse-phase C18 high performance liquid chromatography column when eluted with two different solvent systems, suggesting the generation of a single and identical tyrosine-containing tryptic peptide from both alpha TGFs. The comparisons of the bovine pituitary and human melanoma alpha TGF using a sequence-specific monoclonal antibody and peptide mapping suggest that these alpha TGFs are related and that alpha TGF production is not limited to transformed or fetal sources.     

Melanoma growth stimulatory activity: isolation from human melanoma tumors and characterization of tissue distribution

Melanoma growth stimulatory activity (MGSA) is an acid and heat stable, auto-stimulatory growth factor which was first isolated from culture medium conditioned by the Hs294T human melanoma cell line. In this report, we describe the purification of MGSA from acid ethanol extracts of Hs294T tumors grown in nude mice using a series of Bio-Gel P30, reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography and heparin-sepharose steps. This modified procedure provides a 10-fold improved yield of MGSA over previously published procedures. Purified MGSA-stimulated melanoma cell growth in both 3H-thymidine and cell number assays over a concentration range of 0.06 to 6 ng/ml. The MGSA bioactivity was primarily associated with fractions which exhibited molecular weights of 16 and 13-14 Kd based upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Purified platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in combination with TGF beta did not stimulate 3H-thymidine incorporation in Hs294T cells under the conditions used for MGSA bioassay. Monoclonal antibody to MGSA was used to screen melanoma and benign nevus cultures as well as fixed sectioned tissue for MGSA. The majority of the melanoma cultures were MGSA positive, while most nevus cultures were MGSA negative. However, when fixed sectioned tissue was screened for MGSA immunoreactivity, melanoma tissue was MGSA positive and three-fourths of the benign nevi were MGSA positive. In addition, epidermal keratinocytes and several tissues exhibiting proliferative disorders contained immunoreactive MGSA. These data suggest that MGSA may be a normal regulator of growth and that the microenvironment of the cell may regulate both production of MGSA and response to MGSA.     

An androgen-dependent subclone derived from a mouse mammary tumor, Shionogi carcinoma 115, secretes a heparin-binding growth factor having an apparent molecular weight of 31,000 in response to androgen.

An androgen-dependent cell line denoted SC2G is a clone of an androgen-dependent mouse mammary tumor, Shionogi Carcinoma 115. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) are stimulatory for the growth of SC2G cells in the absence of androgen. This clone was found to secrete an androgen-induced growth factor mostly eluting at 1.8 M NaCl on a heparin-Sepharose column. This factor was partially purified by chromatography on two consecutive heparin-Sepharose columns followed by cation-exchanging chromatography on an S-Sepharose column from the chemically defined serum-free medium conditioned by SC2G cells in the presence of androgen. The factor was a heat- and acid-labile cationic protein that was inactivated by reduction with dithiothreitol. On sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, most of the growth-promoting activity of this factor was found at approx. 31 kDa under non-reduced conditions. Neither neutralizing antibody against basic-FGF nor that against EGF inhibited the growth-promoting activity of this factor in cell culture, suggesting the factor was distinct from basic FGF or EGF. However, the possibility that the factor was another FGF- or EGF-like growth factor was not excluded.     

Chemical and biological characterization of a truncated form of acidic fibroblast growth factor from bovine brain

Two forms of acidic fibroblast growth factor were isolated from bovine brain by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, cation-exchange chromatography, heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Amino acid analysis, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino-terminal sequence analysis showed that one form corresponds to a protein with a molecular mass of 16 kDa and the amino-terminal sequence Phe-Asn-Leu-Pro-Leu-Gly-Asn-Tyr-Lys-Lys-Pro-Lys-Leu-Leu-Tyr- and thus represents the acidic fibroblast growth factor as previously characterized [B?hlen et al. (1985) EMBO J. 5, 1951-1956]. The second mitogen form has a molecular mass of 15.5 kDa. The amino-terminal sequence was established as Asn-Tyr-Lys-Lys-Pro-Lys-Leu-Leu-Tyr-. This evidence indicates that the latter form represents an amino-terminally truncated acidic fibroblast growth factor, lacking the first six amino acid residues. Both forms of the protein are biologically active and equipotent with respect to stimulation of the proliferation in vitro of mesodermal cells such as vascular endothelial and adrenal cortex cells.     

Epidermal growth factor-like transforming growth factor. I. Isolation, chemical characterization, and potentiation by other transforming factors from feline sarcoma virus-transformed rat cells

An acid-stable transforming growth factor (TGF) that interacts with epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors and is structurally related to EGF was isolated from serum-free culture fluids of Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus-transformed rat embryo (FeSV-Fre) cells. Purification of this EGF-like TGF (eTGF) was achieved by molecular filtration chromatography and successive reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography steps on octadecyl support eluted with acetonitrile and 1-propanol gradients, respectively. Rat eTGF consists of a 7.4-kD single polypeptide chain that co-migrates with biological activity in dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels. Like preparations of a related TGF from human melanoma cells (Marquardt, H., and Todaro, G.J. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 5220-5225), but unlike EGF from rat, human, or mouse, rat eTGF has phenylalanine and lacks methionine. However, the sequence of the first 30 amino acid residues in rat eTGF is H2N-Val-Val-Ser-His-Phe-Asn-Lys-Cys-Pro-Asp-Ser-His-Thr-Gln-Tyr-Cys-Phe-His-Gly - Thr-(x)-Arg-Phe-Leu-Val-Gln-Glu-Glu-(Lys)-(Lys)-, which is significantly (20% and 28%) homologous to the NH2-terminal region of mouse EGF and human EGF, respectively. In addition to eTGF, molecular filtration chromatography of acid-soluble extracts from medium conditioned by FeSV-Fre cells resolved a 14-kD transforming factor(s) apparently devoid of intrinsic mitogenic activity but able to elicit a strong anchorage-independent growth response in the presence of eTGF or EGF. These results show that: 1) a 7.4-kDa TGF structurally and functionally related to EGF has been isolated from FeSV-Fre cells and 2) the full anchorage-independent growth-promoting activity of medium conditioned by FeSV-Fre cells is due to the coordinate action of at least two types of factors, the 7.4-kDa eTGF and a second 14-kDa transforming factor(s).     

Purification of transforming growth factor type e

Transforming growth factor type e (TGFe) is a heat- and acid-stable polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 22,000, which stimulates the proliferation of certain epithelial and mesenchymal cells in monolayer and soft agar. TGFe has been purified to homogeneity. Initial acid-ethanol extraction of bovine kidney was followed by batch ion-exchange chromatography utilizing Bio Rex 70 resin. The activity eluted from the Bio Rex 70 resin was concentrated and diafiltered using an Amicon concentrator equipped with an S1Y10 spiral membrane, then was further purified by Bio-Gel P-60 molecular sieve chromatography. Active fractions from molecular sieve chromatography were pooled and purified by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using a microbore C-8 column. The final purification step involved electro-elution of TGFe separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Purity of TGFe was assessed to be greater than 90%.     

Purification and characterization of peptidylarginine deiminase from rabbit skeletal muscle

The preceding paper described the identification and some properties of peptidylarginine deiminase, which catalyzes the deimination of arginyl residues in protein, from rabbit skeletal muscle, kidney, brain, and lung. In the present work we purified peptidylarginine deiminase from rabbit skeletal muscle with a 16% yield by 7 steps. The purification involved ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, gel filtration on Bio-Gel A-0.5 m, and affinity chromatography on soybean trypsin inhibitor-Sepharose 4B and aminohexyl-Sepharose 4B. The purified enzyme was homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with and without sodium dodecyl sulfate. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 83,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 130,000-140,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The isoelectric point was 5.3 and the amino acid composition was also determined. The enzyme preferably catalyzed the formation of citrulline derivatives from arginine derivatives in which both the amino and carboxyl groups were substituted and showed the highest activity towards Bz-L-Arg-O-Et among the arginine derivatives tested. The Km value for Bz-L-Arg-O-Et was found to be 0.50 X 10(-3) M. The enzyme also showed marked activities towards native protein substrates, such as protamine sulfate, soybean trypsin inhibitor, histone and bovine serum albumin.     

Purification of a factor inducing differentiation in murine myelomonocytic leukemia cells. Identification as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

A naturally occurring inducer of terminal differentiation in a murine myelomonocytic leukemia cell line (WEHI-3B) was purified to apparent homogeneity from medium conditioned by lungs from mice injected with bacterial endotoxin. The factor was purified over 400,000-fold by sequential fractionation using salting out chromatography, chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-60 in 1 M acetic acid, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography on a phenyl-silica column, and high performance liquid chromatography on a gel filtration column. During the first two steps, the differentiation-inducing factor was separated completely from a known proliferative regulator for normal myeloid cells, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, but it co-purified through all remaining steps with a distinct granulocyte-specific colony-stimulating factor. The purified factor showed a single protein band of Mr = 24,000-25,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels coincident with both differentiation-inducing and granulocyte colony-stimulating activity. The granulocyte-specific colony-stimulating factor was active on WEHI-3B cells and normal granulocytic progenitor cells in vitro at the same half-maximally active concentration of 3 X 10(-12) M.     

Type beta transforming growth factor from feline sarcoma virus-transformed rat cells. Isolation and biological properties

We have isolated a strongly mitogenic, type beta transforming growth factor (beta TGF) released by Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus-transformed rat embryo (FeSV-Fre) cells that induces phenotypic transformation of normal NRK cells when they are concomitantly stimulated by analogues of epidermal growth factor (EGF). Molecule filtration chromatography separates beta TGF from an EGF-like TGF (eTGF) which is also present in acid extracts from medium conditioned by FeSV-Fre cells (J. Massagué, (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 13606-13613). Final purification of beta TGF is achieved by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) on octadecyl support, molecular filtration HPLC, and nonreducing dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis steps, yielding a 300,000-fold purified polypeptide with a final recovery of 21%. The purified rat beta TGF consists of two Mr = 11,000-12,000 polypeptide chains disulfide-linked as a Mr = 23,000 dimer. Induction of anchorage-independent proliferation of NRK cells by rat beta TGF depends on the simultaneous presence of eTGF or EGF. In the presence of a saturating (300 pM) concentration of either rat eTGF or mouse EGF, half-maximal anchorage-independent proliferation of NRK cells is obtained with 4-6 pM rat beta TGF. In the presence of a saturating (20 pM) concentration of rat beta TGF, half-maximal anchorage-independent proliferation of NRK cells is obtained with either rat eTGF or mouse EGF at a 50-70 pM concentration. Rat beta TGF is also able to induce DNA synthesis and cell proliferation on growth-arrested NRK, human lung, and Swiss mouse 3T3 fibroblast monolayers, this effect being half-maximal at 2-3 pM beta TGF for NRK cells. These results identify eTGF and beta TGF as the two synergistically acting factors responsible for the transforming action of culture fluids from FeSV-Fre cells.     

Purification of an autocrine growth factor in conditioned medium obtained from primary cultures of scleral fibroblasts of the chick embryo

Scleral fibroblasts of the chick embryo were found to secrete autocrine growth factors. One of the factors was purified from conditioned medium collected from growing-phase cultures of these cells by DEAE-Sepharose column chromatography and following non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The specific activity was increased 1100-fold by this purification. The chromatographically purified growth factor was still active after incubation at 95 degrees C, at pH 10 or pH 3, or with glycosidase H, but inactive after incubation with dithiothreitol or trypsin. An active protein having a molecular weight of 32 kDa was found to be the major component of the final preparation.     

A beta-type transforming growth factor, present in conditioned cell culture medium independent of cell transformation, may derive from serum

An alpha-type transforming growth factor (TGF alpha) is produced at high levels by rat embryo cells transformed by the Snyder-Theilen strain of feline sarcoma virus (FeSV). Addition of 2 ng mouse epidermal growth factor (mEGF) during purification identified the presence of a second, EGF-dependent growth factor of the TGF beta type (TGF beta) in this conditioned medium. This factor had an approximate Mr of 12,000 and eluted at 37% acetonitrile during high performance liquid chromatography. This extracellular type of TGF beta activity also was present in conditioned medium of rat cells after infection with a transformation defective strain of Abelson leukemia virus, and hence expression of this growth factor activity was independent of cell transformation. Moreover, the presence of an EGF-dependent, 12,000 Mr clonogenic activity in extracts of bovine serum alone suggests serum as an origin for the B-type transforming growth factor initially observed in conditioned medium of Snyder-Theilen FeSV transformed cells. This does not, however, preclude the possibility that TGF beta is also secreted by the transformed rat embryo cells themselves.     

Recombinant-DNA-derived bovine growth hormone from Escherichia coli. 2. Biochemical, biophysical, immunological and biological comparison with the pituitary hormone

Bacterially synthesized, recombinant-DNA-derived bovine growth hormone (r-bGH), prepared as described in the preceding paper in this journal, has been characterized in comparison with pituitary bovine growth hormone (pit-bGH). The characterization criteria include sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, automated N-terminal sequence analysis, amino acid composition, isoelectric focusing, reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet absorbance, analysis for free protein thiol, sizing by gel filtration, circular dichroism, radioimmunoassay and biological activity in the hypophysectomized rat weight-gain assay. In every respect the r-bGH appears to be virtually identical to pit-bGH.     

Acidic fibroblast growth factor is present in nonneural tissue: isolation and chemical characterization from bovine kidney

Endothelial cell growth factor activity purified from bovine kidney by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography was previously identified as basic fibroblast growth factor [Baird, A., Esch, F., B?hlen, P., Ling, N., & Gospodarowicz, D. (1985) Regul. Pept. 12, 202-213]. We now show that a major mitogenic fraction, isolated from heparin-Sepharose-purified material by Mono-S cation-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, is related to acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF). Sequence analysis showed the amino-terminal sequence to be Tyr-Lys-Lys-Pro-Lys-Leu-Leu-Tyr-X-Ser-Asn-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Phe-Leu-Arg-Ile-Le u-Pro- Asp-Gly-Thr-Val-Asp-. The molecular mass of the protein, as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was 15.5 kDa. In combination, those data strongly suggest that this mitogen is amino terminally truncated acidic fibroblast growth factor. So far, aFGF has only been found in neural tissues, i.e., in the brain and retina. Our results strongly suggest that this mitogen also occurs in extraneural tissue.     

Isolation, purification and characterization of collagenase from hepatopancreas of the land snail Achatina fulica

Collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase-1, EC:3.4.24.7) was isolated from the hepatopancreas of Achatina fulica and characterized for its enzymatic activity and immunological properties. Procollagenase was isolated using ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration, followed by purification by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid and by dialysis in neutral buffer. In the presence of SDS and beta-mercaptoethanol, the procollagenase resolved into two subunits with molecular masses of 63 and 28 kDa, respectively. The 63 kDa fragment retained its ability to bind and degrade gelatin, but the 28 kDa was inactive. Analysis by 2D gel electrophoresis revealed that the 63 kDa fragment was basic (pIs 7.6, 7.8 and 8.15), while the 28 kDa fragment was acidic (pI 4.7 and 5.1). Western blot analysis confirmed the identity of collagenase, as only matrix metalloproteinase-1 rabbit antibodies against human matrix metalloproteinase-1 (N-terminal region) recognized both the isolated procollagenase and the 63 kDa fragment.     

Structure of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor. Multiple forms, primary structure, and glycosylation of the mature protein.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a newly described member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family that is mitogenic for BALB/c 3T3 cells, inhibits the binding of 125I-EGF to its receptor, and triggers autophosphorylation of the EGF receptor. HB-EGF was purified from the conditioned medium of U-937 cells using cation exchange, copper affinity, heparin affinity, and two rounds of C4 reversed phase liquid chromatography. The elution profile of the first round of C4 column chromatography contained four growth factor activity peaks with similar specific biological activities. N-terminal and tryptic fragment microsequencing demonstrated that these peaks contained different structural forms of the HB-EGF protein. Some of the differences in the various forms of HB-EGF were found to be due to N-terminal heterogeneity. Microsequencing of tryptic fragments indicated that the mature HB-EGF polypeptide can contain at least 86 of the 208 amino acids predicted by nucleotide sequence to be the HB-EGF precursor molecule. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that the various forms of HB-EGF have apparent molecular masses of 19-23 kDa. Further analysis of the most predominant form of HB-EGF found in U-937 cell conditioned medium indicated that it has a pI of 7.2-7.8 and is O-glycosylated.     

Structural and immunochemical characterization of human urine arylsulfatase A purified by affinity chromatography

Arylsulfatase A (aryl-sulfate sulfohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.1) was isolated from an ammonium sulfate precipitate of urinary proteins using two different affinity chromatography methods. One method involved the use of concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity chromatography at an early stage of purification, followed by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The other procedure employed arylsulfatase subunit affinity chromatography as the main step and resulted in a remarkably efficient purification. The enzyme had a specific activity of 63 U/mg. The final preparation of arylsulfatase A was homogeneous on the basis of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 7.5, and by immunochemical analysis. However, when an enzyme sample obtained by either method of purification was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing or non-reducing conditions, peptide subunits, of 63.5 and 54.5 kDa, were observed. Immunological tests with 125I-labeled enzyme established the presence of a common protein component in both of the electrophoretically separable peptide subunits of human urine arylsulfatase. The amino acid analysis of homogeneous human urine arylsulfatase A showed only a few differences between it and the human liver enzyme. However, immunological cross-reactivity studies using rabbit anti-human urine arylsulfatase revealed immunological difference between the human urine and liver arylsulfatase A enzymes.     

Purification of a fibroblast growth factor from bovine pituitary.

The purification from bovine pituitary gland of a growth factor responsible for the control of animal cell division in tissue culture is reported. This growth factor is a polypeptide of 13,300 molecular weight and is homogeneous when analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, carboxymethyl-Sephadex gradient elution chromatography, and Sephadex G-50 chromatography. The yield of growth factor is 5 mg per kg of pituitary. It is active in stimulating DNA synthesis in 3T3 cells at concentrations as low as 2 times 10-13 M with saturation at 1 times 10-10 M.     

The isolation and characterization of a colony stimulating factor from human lung.

Serum-free conditioned medium from human lung obtained at autopsy provides a rich source of colony stimulating factor which stimulates granulocytic and macrophagic colony growth in both mouse and human bone marrow. The appearance of the factor is enhanced by endotoxin and inhibited by either puromycin or actinomycin D. Human lung colony stimulating factor is stable at the pH range of 6.5-10 and temperature of 56 degrees C for 30 min. It is resistant to trypsin and neuraminidase but is sensitive to subtilisin, chymotrypsin and periodate. It shows heterogeneity on Sephadex gel filtration with two activity peaks having molecular weight of 200 000 and 40 000, respectively. Upon gel electrophoresis, human lung colony stimulating factor migrates in the alpha-globulin post-albumin region. Using the combination procedures of hydroxyapatite chromatography and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis a 600-fold purification was achieved with a final specific activity of 6-10(5) units per mg protein. The purified colony stimulating factor is very labile; however, the activity can be stabilized by the addition of gelatin or bovine serum albumin at the concentration of 0.1% and 0.2 mg/ml, respectively.