Isolation and Characterization of the Water Soluble Antineoplastic Principles of the Common Quahog, 'Mercenaria mercenaria'

摘要

Mercenene, the name given to the antineoplastic principles of the common quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria was comprised of a low molecular weight antineoplastic principle and a high molecular weight antineoplastic principle. The low molecular weight antineoplastic principle was purified and identified as thymidine, a nucleoside of established chemotherapeutic value. It was isolated in 0.006% yield, based on the weight of wet liver, and exhibited an ID(50) 1.6 X 0.00001 M. Thymidine accounted for 24% of the total activity. The distribution of the remaining activity in the low molecular weight fraction was determined. Two additional low molecular weight antineoplastic principles of significant activity were present but their yield did not surpass the chosen criterion of 0.001% and they were not purified to homogeneity. The high molecular weight antineoplastic principle exhibited 50% of the total activity. It was purified in a 0.005% yield and characterized. It was established that the high molecular weight antineoplastic principle was a protein or protein-cofactor complex. The ID(50) was 2.6 X 10 to the minus 7th power M, calculated for a molecular weight of 76,000 daltons. (Copyright (c) The Ohio State University 1981.)