Studies of the specific role of the subunits of choriogonadotropin for biological, immunological and physical properties of the hormone. Digestion of choriogonadotropin and its isolated subunits with serine carboxypeptidase.

The residues 90-92 can be split off from the C-terminal region of the isolated alpha-subunit of choriogonadotropin (residues 88--92: -Tyr-Tyr-His-Lys-Ser-OH) by means of serine carboxypeptidase (des-Lys91,Ser92-alpha-subunit; des-(90-92)-alpha-subunit). However, when choriogonadotropin is digested by serine carboxypeptidase, only the residues 143-145 (-Leu-Pro-Gln-OH) form the C-terminus of the beta-subunit are released (des-(143-145)-choriogonadotropin). Depending on the pH conditions, glutamine 145 and the residues 143-145, respectively, are liberated by digestion of the isolated beta-subunit (des-Gln145-beta-subunit and des-(143-145)-beta-subunit, respectively). The present study provides evidence that the C-termini of both the isolated subunits and those in choriogonadotropin are probably arranged on the surface of the molecules. The biological activity of des-(143-145)-choriogonadotropin is not significantly decreased. The immunological activity, however, is reduced when measured by complement fixation. In comparison to the native hormone, a four-fold amount of des-(143-145)-choriogonadotropin has to be applied to obtain highest complement fixation. The conformation of des-(143-145)-choriogonadotropin does not seem to differ from that of the native hormone, when estimated both by CD measurements and by Ans-choriogonadotropin fluorescence. The respective determinant therefore seems to depend, at least to some extent, on the sequence of the C-terminal region of the beta-subunit of the hormone; complement fixation, however, does not seem to be affected significantly, when the des-(143-145)-beta-subunit is compared with the native beta-subunit using an antiserum against the native beta-subunit. This provides evidence that this C-terminal determinant is possibly more immunogenic at the hormone than at the isolated beta-subunit. The biological activity of recombined choriogonadotropin in vivo as well as in vitro is markedly reduced when serine 92 is removed from the C-terminus of the alpha-subunit (des-Ser92,Lys91-alpha-native beta-subunit: 36% residual activity in vivo). Biological activity is lost when the residues 88-90 are removed by digestion of the des-Ser92,Lys91-alpha-subunit with carboxypeptidase A. Recombination products between a modified alpha-and the native beta-subunit show a reduced Anschoriogonadotropin fluorescence (des-Lys91,-Ser92-alpha + native beta-subunit: 52%; des-(88-92)-alpha- + native beta-subunit: 23%). The Ans-induced aggregation of choriogonadotropin, however, also takes place in those recombination products which display a low Ans-choriogonadotropin fluorescence, indicating that the reduction is probably not caused by a portion of the molecules losing their binding sites for Ans. Therefore the diminished Ans-choriogonadotropin fluorescence seems to signal small conformational changes. The CD spectra of the native and the des-(90-92)-alpha-subunit, however, seem not to differ significantly. It is shown that the release of amino acids from the C-terminus of the alpha-subunit causes a disturbance of the interaction between the subunits. This seems to prevent an effective conformational change of the beta-subunit which probably is a prerequisite for the binding of the hormone to the receptors of Leydig cells.