Guinea pig pancreatic polypeptide: Structure and pancreatic content

Guinea pig (GP) pancreatic polypeptide (PP) has been purified from an acid-alcohol extract of 6 GP pancreata by a series of 3 HLPC steps. The sequence for GP PP as compared with that of beef and human is shown: GP A P L E P V Y P G D D A T P Q Q MA Q Y A A E MR R Y I N ML T R P R Y Beef A P L E P E Y P G D N A T P E Q MA Q Y A A E L R R Y I N ML T R P R Y Human A P L E P V Y P G D N A T P E Q MA Q Y A A D L R R Y I N ML T R P R Y. In a single GP pancreas weighing 2.4 g the total PP content was 1.0 nmol and the total glucagon content 61 nmol; in a single dog pancreas weighing 35 g the total PP was 385 nmol and the total glucagon 81 nmol. The relatively low content of PP in GP pancreas is consistent with the fact that the GP lacks a ventral pancreas, the region in which PP is found in highest concentration. The high glucagon content of GP pancreas is consistent with that reported in earlier studies.