AMINO ACID COMPOSITION OF THE PROTEINS OF THE MUSCLES AND ORGANS OF THE NORMAL, CASTRATED AND TESTOSTERONE TREATED GUINEA PIG

Abstract

The protein of several muscles, liver, kidney, prostate, seminal vesicles and seminal vesicle fluid of normal, castrated and testosterone propionate or testosterone treated guinea pigs was prepared by either trichloracetic or perchloric acid treatment. The extracted and defatted proteins were hydrolysed with acid and the amino acid composition determined by ion exchange chromatography. Each tissue contained all of the commonly occurring amino acids. The seminal fluid also contained several other unidentified ninhydrin reacting compounds. The quantity of each acid changed in direct proportion with the changes in weight of the tissues produced by castration or androgen treatment. The 9 different muscles analysed ranged in no dependency to very great dependency on androgen for normal growth but the amino acid composition of their proteins was practically identical. The quantity of the individual amino acids of the fluid of the seminal vesicles was very different from that of the organ.