The Whittier Institute for Diabetes & Endocrinology

Willard P VanderLaan

A peptide having the formula ##STR1## is synthesized. The peptide is conjugated, e.g., with bis-diazotized benzidine, at its C-terminus to a carrier, such as bovine serum albumin, to form a synthetic antigen useful for inducing antibody production in a host animal. The antiserum obtained from the host animal is free of cross-reactivity with other pituitary substances and thus particularly advantageous for assay purposes. The peptide, whether unlabeled or labeled with radioactive iodine on the tyrosine moiety, has an affinity to antiserum raised against the conjugate similar to the affinity of natural hPRL to the antiserum. The synthetic peptide is used in radioimmunoassays where the labeled peptide competes for the binding sites in the antiserum with unknown concentrations of hPRL in biological samples.

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Willard P VanderLaan