THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDIES ON OVINE PLACINTAL ...

SECTIr)N VIII
240
SIGNIFICANCE OF PRESENT STUDIES
l. l.lith the identification and Jsoration of opl from sheep placentas
we have demonitrated unequlvocally that pìacental lactogen is
present in non-primates.
2. l^Je have established a method for the pur.ification of opl, By
empìoying this method, one can purlfy opL ín .large quantities and
in high purity for chemlcal and biologìcal studies.
3. l.le have developed a specifìc rad i oirmu noa ssay for opL. By emptoylng
this assay, one can study the physloìogy of opl in the sheep.
4. }le have demonstrated for the first time that opl can maintain the
lntegr'lty of LH-receptors in the corpora lutea.
5. Binding studles of opL using anima'l and human tissues show that
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oPL and hGH bind to the same receptor sites in both animal and
human tissues, suggesting that the blnding sites in opl and hGH
molecule are very simi'lar. Thus, further structurai anaìysis on
the active sites of opl and hGH will elucidate the peptide(s)
which may be responsible for the bindlng for growth. promoting
activity. Hence, structural analysls may have potentìaì
impl icatìons for clinical use.