Chemical synthesis of bovine transforming growth factor-α: Synthesis, characterization and biological activity

Abstract Bovine transforming growth factor-α (bTGF-α) is a 50 amino acid polypeptide with three disulfide linkages. In order to evaluate the biological function of this peptide, bTGF-α was synthesized via an automatic synthesizer and purified to homogeneity in high yield. The integrity of this synthetic peptide was confirmed by chemical analyses and bioassays. In a bovine liver radioreceptor assay, bTGF-α competes with radiolabeled EGF and has activity comparable to mEGF and hTGF-α. Compared to hEGF, bTGF-α elicits a greater response in a bovine mammary cell proliferation.