Gonadotrophin from the Neural Region of Ascidians

Abstract

POSTERIOR pituitary hormone analogues have been known from the neural region of Ascidians for some time^1,2, though doubt has been thrown on their reality³. One investigator only seems to have looked for anterior pituitary hormones⁴; he examined an extract from the neural region (ganglion + neural gland + ciliated pit) of Polycarpa for gonadotrophically active substance. Unfortunately, as he admitted himself, he had not sufficient material for an adequate test, so his results remained inconclusive and have not been generally accepted. In the course of other investigations I have had occasion to repeat this work using two other Ascidians, Ciona intestinalis (L.) and Phallusia mammilata (Cuv.).