A NEW POLYPEPTIDE PROMOTING EPIDERMAL CELLS AND CHONDROCYTES PROLIFERATION FROM CERVUS ELAPHUS LINNAEUS

AIM To investigate the chemical structure of velvet antler polypeptide from red deer (Cervus elaphus Linnaeus) and the cell proliferation promoting activity. METHODS The polypeptide was isolated with acid water extraction and the final purification of this material was accomplished by column chromatography on CM-Sepharose Fast Flow, on Sephadex G-50, then by repeated reversed-phase HPLC (C₆). RESULTS Velvet antler polypeptide (VAPP) consists of a single linear chain of 32 amino acid residues. Its structure was determined by a combination of MALDI-TOF MS analyses, N-terminal Edman degradation and amino acid analyses. Amino acid sequence of VAPP was: N-terminus VLSAADKSNVKAAWGKVGGNAPAFGAEALLRM. VAPP at 0.4-50 and 10-50 mg·L^-1 showed marked stimulant effects on the growth of rat epidermal cells and rabbit costal chondrocytes, respectively. CONCLUSION Velvet antler polypeptide is a new polypeptide promoting cells proliferation.