Isolation, characterization, and amino acid sequence of melanotropins from camel pituitary glands.

The isolation of two beta-melanotropins and two alpha-melanotropins from camel pituitary glands has been described, and their amino acid sequences have been determined. Two of them are identified as alpha-melanotropin and deacetylated alpha-melanotropin. There are also two beta-melanotropins whose structures are identical with the bovine hormone except that one has glycine in position 2 and the other glycine in position 2 as well as glutamine in position 8. The melanocyte-stimulating and lipolytic activities of these four camel melanotropins have been investigated by in vitro assay procedures.