AFFINITY PURIFICATION AND SEQUENCE DETERMINATION OF EQUINE RELAXIN

Relaxin, a polypeptide hormone normally associated with pregnancy, has been purified from many species, and the sequence determined for a growing number. Equine relaxin has been previously purified by acetone extraction, gel filtration, and ion exchange chromatographies. In an attempt to develop a more rapid and efficient method for relaxin purification, the use of affinity chromatography coupled with HPLC was explored. Monoclonal antibodies were raised against highly purified equine relaxin; large quantities of antibody were obtained by ascites production and attached to a solid phase support. An extract of term equine placentas was passed through the affinity column and washed, and relaxin was eluted by a change in pH. The isoforms of equine relaxin were separated by HPLC using a C18 (ODS) reverse phase column and a linear gradient of 25-30% acetonitrile. Four major and several minor isoforms of equine relaxin were obtained. The isoforms share similar mol wt by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), are composed of subunits (SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions), and have similar charges (native PAGE). Five isoforms tested positive for biological activity in the mouse inter-pubic ligament bioassay. Equine relaxin was sequenced by Edman degradation, and the sequence was confirmed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The isoforms of equine relaxin were found to be due to heterogeneity of the C-terminus of the B-chain. Equine relaxin appears to be the smallest relaxin sequenced. The A-chain consists of 20 residues, and the B-chain has 28 residues, with a total mol wt of 5253. Equine relaxin shares the greatest sequence homology with porcine relaxin (67% identity).