GONADOTROPHIC ACTIVITY OF GRANULE FRACTIONS OBTAINED FROM ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLANDS OF CASTRATE RATS1

Abstract

DATA collected during recent years show that succinoxidase, cytochrome oxidase and adenosine triphosphatase are associated with the large granule fraction isolated by differential centrifugation of rat liver homogenates. Only a few enzymes are associated with the small granules, but these particles contain a large part of the pentosenucleic acid of the tissue. The granules remain morphologically intact in sucrose solutions of the proper concentration and this makes these solutions preferable to water, isotonic sodium or potassium chloride solutions for isolation purposes (Schneider, 1946; Hogeboom, Claude and Hotchkiss, 1946; Hogeboom, Schneider and Pallade, 1948; and Schneider, Claude and Hogeboom, 1948). The work in this field is summarized in a review by Schneider and Hogeboom (1951). Preliminary results have also been reported on the fractionation of sucrose homogenates of rat pituitary glands by differential centrifugation, the gonadotrophic hormone content and the succinoxidase activity of these fractions (McShan and Meyer, 1949).