Biologically active thymones from the thymus

A biologically active substance extracted from thymus tissue consisting essentially of thymone A, having

• an electrophoretic Rf of 0.37, relative to lysine, in the solvent system, pyridine-acetic acid-water (4:1:45) at pH 5.3, 800 V, 22 mA, 15 min. (cellulose plates, 10.times.20 cm);
• an electrophoretic Rf of 0.33, relative to lysine, in the solvent system, pyridine-acetic acid-water (1:10:190) at pH 3.5, 1000 V, 6 mA, 20 min. (cellulose plates, 10.times.20 cm);
• an electrophoretic Rf of 0.28, relative to lysine, in the solvent system, pyridine-acetic acid-water (10:0.4:89.6) at pH 6.45, 2000 V, 6 mA, 10 min. (cellulose plates, 10.times.20 cm);
• approximately 68 to 71 amino acids, as moieties representing approximately 14 amino acids:
• aspartic acid--4 to 5 units;
• threonine--4 units;
• serine--6 units;
• glutamic acid--9-10 units;
• proline--8 units;
• glycine--6 units;
• alanine--5 to 6 units;
• valine--3 to 4 units;
• methionine--1 unit;
• isoleucine--1 to 2 units;
• leucine--3 units;
• histidine--2 units;
• lysine--11 to 12 units;
• arginine--3 to 4 units;
• and
• biological activities to stimulate the proliferation of lymphocytes and the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate.

A biologically active substance extracted from thymus tissue consisting essentially of thymone B, having

• an electrophoretic Rf of 0.05, relative to lysine;
• pyridine:AcOH:H.sub.2 O (2.6:30:876) pH 3.5;
• 1000 V, 3 mA, 20 min. (cellulose plates 5.times.20 cm),
• a TLC Rf of 0.53;
• n-BuOH:pyridine:AcOH:H.sub.2 O (30:30:6:24) (Silica gel plates, 5.times.10 cm);
• a TLC Rf of 0.48;
• EtOAc:pyridine:AcOH:H.sub.2 O (5:5:1:3) (Silica gel plates, 5.times.10 cm);
• a TLC Rf of 0.61;
• n-BuOH:AcOH:EtOAc:H.sub.2 O (1:1:3:1) (Silica gel plates, 5.times.10 cm);
• as moieties representing approximately the 13 amino acids:
• aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, proline, glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, histidine, lysine, arginine;
• and
• biological activities to stimulate the proliferation of lymphocytes and the formation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate.

A biologically active substance extracted from thymus tissue consisting essentially of thymone C,

• having the ability to stimulate the proliferation of lymphocytes,
• being extractable by methanol or acetic acid from defatted thymus tissue,
• having a retention time similar to thymone A on CM-Sephadex chromatography, and
• being separated from lymphocyte proliferation inhibitory substances by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25 chromatography followed by CM-Sephadex C-25 chromatography.