Abstract
MOST of the data accumulated in the past thirty-two years1 has led to the conclusion that parathyroid hormone is a protein. In 1954, Handler, Cohn and Dratz2 attempted to purify this hormone by means of ion-exchange chromatography, but found hormonal activity associated with a number of protein peaks. On the basis of their results, they suggested that the hormonal activity might reside in a smaller molecule, presumably not necessarily nitrogenous, which readily absorbs on proteins. Raoul, Mornay and Prelot3 have recently claimed to have prepared, by two different lipid extraction methods, a highly active material which did not contain nitrogen. On the basis of unreported evidence, they suggested that this active substance was steroidal in nature. Since the D vitamins, which are steroid, closely mimic, in some respects, the action of parathyroid hormone on bone and kidney, the possibility that this hormone is a steroid merits consideration.
References
Greep, B. O., Chapter 7 in Pincus, G., and Thimann, K. U., “The Hormones”, 1 (Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1948). Greep, B. O., and Kenny, A. B., Chapter 4 in Pincus, G., and Thimann, K. U., “The Hormones”, 3 (Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1955).
Handler, P., Cohn, D. U., and Dratz, A. F., in “Metabolic Interrelations with Special Reference to Calcium”, trans. 5th Josiah Macy Conf., 320 (Progress Associated, Inc., New York, 1954).
Raoul, M. Y., Mornay, C., and Prelot, M., C.R. Acad. Sci., Paris, 240, 1151 (1955).
L'Heureux, M. V., Tepperman, H. M., and Wilhelmi, A. E., J. Biol. Chem., 168, 167 (1947).
Davies, B. M. A., Gordon, A. H., and Mussett, M. U., J. Physiol., 125, 383 (1954).
Dyer, F. J., Quart. J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 8, 197 (1935).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
RASMUSSEN, H., WESTALL, R. Chemical Nature of Parathyroid Hormone. Nature 180, 1429 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/1801429a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1801429a0
This article is cited by
-
Zur Histologie und Zytologie der Glandula parathyreoidea des Menschen
Zeitschrift f�r Zellforschung und Mikroskopische Anatomie (1961)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.