Isolation from lactalbumin hydrolysate of a high molecular weight mitogenic factor.

A new mitogenic factor has been isolated from tissue culture grade lactalbumin hydrolysate. Incubation of postconfluent Swiss 3T3 cells in serum-free medium containing lactalbumin hydrolysate resulted in enhanced synthesis and release of plasminogen activator. Sephadex G-100 gel filtration of concentrated, dialyzed lactalbumin hydrolysate revealed two fractions, LH-FI and LH-FII. LH-FI elutes at the void volume, indicative of high molecular weight, and contains all plasminogen activator stimulatory activity of the original lactalbumin hydrolysate, whereas LH-FII has no activity. In addition, LH-FI also induces DNA synthesis in Swiss 3T3 cells in a dose-dependent fashion, 1 to 2 microgram/ml being equivalent to 10% fetal calf serum. Again, LH-FII is without effect. Induction of DNA synthesis in LH-FI or serum-stimulated quiescent sparse cells followed essentially identical kinetics at least through the first 20 h. Furthermore, LH-FI also enhances 3T3 cell growth. Preliminary results of Sepharose 4B filtration of LH-FI reveal the presence of five subfractions each with plasminogen activator stimulatory as well as mitogenic activity.