Growth hormones. II. Structure-function relationships.

Localization of the somatotropic activity of growth hormones from several species and from different organs was attempted using different approaches. Sequences were compared in order to detect one or several regions with a common homology. The technique of peptide recombinants as well as chemical changes affecting some amino acids was applied to these hormones; the biological function in vivo of growth or binding to somatotropic receptors was then estimated. The few data available on biosynthetic molecules and secondary structures of natural growth hormones are reported. This study indicates the somatotropic function of particular sites.