A practical reference on epithalamin: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
This page was last updated on 2026-04-22 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Laboratory-grade epitalon is typically supplied as a lyophilized powder. Purity is commonly assessed with reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, often paired with mass spectrometry to confirm molecular identity. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping can provide additional confirmation of sequence. Certificates of analysis for research materials frequently report purity above 95 percent, although the methods behind such figures vary between suppliers. The absence of a pharmacopeial monograph means that no single standardized assay defines the compound, so reported results depend on the analytical protocol chosen.
Storage recommendations center on limiting moisture, heat, and light. The dry powder is generally kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius, and some suppliers recommend minus 80 degrees for long-term archival. Once dissolved, solutions are usually aliquoted and frozen to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which can promote aggregation or degradation. Aqueous stability depends on pH and concentration, and buffered saline is often preferred over plain water for biological work. Stability data specific to epitalon remain limited, so general peptide-handling practices are applied by analogy rather than from product-specific validation.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and its calculated monoisotopic mass is approximately 390.35 daltons. The compound does not occur naturally as a free peptide; it is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Because it contains two acidic residues and no basic residues, the neutral form carries a net negative charge at physiological pH. This charge profile influences how the peptide behaves in solution and during chromatographic analysis.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its design traces to epithalamin, a peptide fraction prepared from bovine pineal gland extracts that researchers in Saint Petersburg began investigating in the 1970s. The compound has a molecular formula of C14H22N4O9 and a nominal molecular mass near 390 daltons. It holds no approved drug status in the United States or the European Union, and material sold under this name is generally offered as a research chemical rather than a finished pharmaceutical product.
Proposed mechanisms centre on cell-culture observations rather than a defined receptor interaction. Several reports describe increased expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit after exposure of cultured human cells, and the authors attributed the effect to short peptide fragments entering the nucleus and influencing gene transcription. No receptor for the tetrapeptide has been identified, and the free peptide is expected to be degraded rapidly by plasma peptidases. Whether any measurable fraction reaches intact tissues after administration remains an unresolved question rather than an established finding.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Free acid form of the tetrapeptide |
| Molecular mass | About 390.35 Da | Calculated monoisotopic value |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized presentation |
| Solubility | Soluble in water | Also dissolves in buffered saline |
| Storage temperature | Minus 20 degrees Celsius | Dry, dark conditions; avoid repeated thawing |
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide whose four residues are alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and its monoisotopic mass is near 390.35 daltons. The peptide carries two acidic side chains, so it is neutral to negatively charged in most aqueous buffers. Published reference summaries usually list it under both spellings, epitalon and epithalon, and treat the two names as the same material.
The compound is generally described as a synthetic analogue of a fragment isolated from a pineal gland extract. Researchers associated with the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology introduced it during the 1980s and 1990s while studying short peptides from animal tissue. The original extract, called epithalamin, is a heterogeneous mixture, whereas epitalon is a single defined sequence. That distinction matters because findings reported for the extract are not automatically findings about the pure tetrapeptide, and claims about broader biological effects remain a separate question from the chemical identity described here.
Residue composition is the property that most cleanly separates verified material from mislabelled samples. Alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine appear in that order from the N-terminus, and the two acidic residues sit in the middle of the chain. Because the peptide is short, it can be produced by solid-phase synthesis and characterised by mass spectrometry without ambiguity. Any reported sample whose measured mass departs substantially from 390 daltons is a different compound or a degraded mixture rather than epitalon.
Alpha-thalassemia is almost always inherited. It is a recessive trait - a single defective gene is insufficient to cause illness. Due to the involvement of four alpha globin genes, the inheritance pattern is complex, with varying severity depending on the number of gene mutations inherited from each parent. Normal individuals carry 4 alpha-globin genes, comprising autosomal pairs of the HBA1 and HBA2 genes. There are approximately 130 known mutations which can cause alpha thalassemia, mainly comprising deletion of part or all of a gene which then fails to produce alpha globin. If either one gene or two out of the four is faulty, the remaining genes produce sufficient alpha globin for normal life. If three genes are faulty, the sole functioning gene produces relatively small quantities of alpha globin, causing anemia and HbH disease. Four faulty genes (and therefore zero alpha globin) is incompatible with life. In rare cases alpha thalassemia can be acquired as a consequence of myelodysplastic cancer.
DNA-binding domain (DBD) A protein domain containing at least one structural motif capable of recognizing and interacting with the nucleotides of a double-stranded or single-stranded DNA molecule. DNA-binding domains may bind to specific sequences or have a non-specific affinity for DNA. They are the primary functional components of DNA-binding proteins, including many transcription factors and regulatory proteins.
Sanger changed his research project to study the metabolism of lysine and a more practical problem concerning the nitrogen of potatoes. His thesis had the title, "The metabolism of the amino acid lysine in the animal body". He was examined by Charles Harington and Albert Charles Chibnall and awarded his doctorate in 1943.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
==== Film, stage, and television influenced by Jung's ideas ==== Federico Fellini brought to the screen exuberant imagery shaped by his encounter with Jung's ideas, especially Jungian dream interpretation. Fellini preferred Jung to Freud because Jungian analysis defined the dream not as a symptom of a disease that required a cure but rather as a link to archetypal images shared by all of humanity. Stanley Kubrick's 1987 film Full Metal Jacket has an underlying theme about the duality of man. In one scene, a colonel asks a soldier, "You write 'Born to Kill' on your helmet and you wear a peace button. What's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?" The soldier replies, "I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir...the Jungian thing, sir." (The colonel in this scene is played by the brother of famed Jungian psychologist Marion Woodman.) In the 1994 Frasier episode, "Frasier Crane's Day Off", Niles fills in for his brother, declaring: "Although I feel perfectly qualified to fill Frasier's radio shoes, I should warn you that while Frasier is a Freudian, I am a Jungian. So there'll be no blaming Mother today." Robert Eggers's 2019 psychological thriller The Lighthouse has elements strongly influenced by Jung's work, with Eggers hoping that "it's a movie where both Jung and Freud would be furiously eating their popcorn".
The two substrates of this enzyme are cyclopentanol and oxidised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Its products are cyclopentanone, reduced NADH, and a proton. This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on the CH-OH group of donor with NAD+ or NADP+ as acceptor. The systematic name of this enzyme class is cyclopentanol:NAD+ oxidoreductase.
=== Reconstitution === On 13 August 1976, Deputy Premier and Liberal leader Sir Gordon Chalk resigned, resulting in a reshuffle. William Knox replaced Chalk in his roles, while John Greenwood was appointed to the vacant position in the ministry. Keith Hooper, Minister for Transport and Liberal member for Greenslopes, died on 23 August 1977. Fred Campbell added Transport to his roles for the remainder of the parliamentary term.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The manifestation of apical dominance differs significantly between plant groups due to the positioning of their growing points (meristems): Broadleaf plants: The apical meristem is located at the shoot tip, elevated above the ground. Apical dominance is exerted downward, inhibiting axillary buds along the stem. Removing the apex (pruning) releases these buds, resulting in lateral branching and a bushier shape. Grasses: During vegetative growth, the primary apical meristem remains at or near the soil surface in a region called the crown. Growth occurs via intercalary meristems at the base of the leaves. Apical dominance in grasses primarily regulates tillering—the production of new shoots from basal buds. Because the meristem is protected at ground level, grasses can be mown or grazed without destroying the primary growing point, allowing them to recover more quickly than most broadleaf species. Plant physiologists have identified four different stages the plant goes through after the apex is removed (Stages I-IV). The four stages are referred to as:
CPC offers direct scale-up from analytical apparatuses (few milliliters) to industrial apparatuses (several liters) for fast batch-production. CPC seems particularly suited to accommodate aqueous two-phase solvent systems. Generally, CPC instruments can retain solvent systems that are not well-retained in a hydrodynamic instrument due to small differences in density between the phases. It has been very helpful for the development of CPC instrumentation to visualize the flow patterns which give rise to the mixing and settling in the CPC chamber with an asynchronous camera and a stroboscope triggered by the CPC rotor. The aforementioned hydrodynamic and hydrostatic instruments may be employed in a variety of ways, or modes of operation, in order to address the particular separation needs of the scientist. Many modes of operation have been devised to take advantage of the strengths and potentialities of the countercurrent chromatography technique. Generally, the following modes may be performed with commercially available instruments.
The impact of this ~10 km asteroid massively altered the 187Os/188Os signature of marine sediments at that time - the average extraterrestrial 187Os/188Os of ~0.13 and the huge amount of Os this impact contributed (equivalent to 600,000 years of present-day riverine inputs) lowered the global marine 187Os/188Os value of ~0.45 to a minimum of ~0.2. Os isotope ratios may also be used as a signal of anthropogenic impact. The same 187Os/188Os ratios that are common in geological settings may be used to gauge the addition of anthropogenic Os through things like catalytic converters. While catalytic converters have been shown to drastically reduce the emission of NOx and CO, they are introducing platinum group elements (PGE) such as Os, to the environment. Other sources of anthropogenic Os include combustion of fossil fuels, smelting chromium ore, and smelting of some sulfide ores. In one study, the effect of automobile exhaust on the marine Os system was evaluated. Automobile exhaust 187Os/188Os has been recorded to be ~0.2 (similar to extraterrestrial and mantle derived inputs). The effect of anthropogenic Os can be seen best by comparing aquatic Os ratios and local sediments or deeper waters. Surface waters thought to be affected have depleted values compared to deep ocean and sediments by a ratio larger than can be explained by cosmic inputs. The alpha decay of 184Os into 180W (with a rate perhaps large enough for detection) has been proposed as a radiometric dating method for osmium-rich rocks or for differentiation of a planetary core.
== Mechanism of action == Unlike traditional sulfonylureas, RX871024 not only closes ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels—leading to membrane depolarization, opening of voltage-gated calcium channels, and increased intracellular calcium—but also directly stimulates exocytosis of insulin-containing granules, even under conditions where calcium levels are held constant. This compound inhibits several potassium channels, including KATP, KCa, and delayed rectifier potassium channels, and interacts specifically with the Kir6.2 (KCNJ11) subunit of the KATP channel, distinguishing its mode of action from sulfonylureas, which target the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (ABCC8). Additionally, RX871024 mobilizes calcium from intracellular, thapsigargin-sensitive stores via redox-dependent pathways involving cytochrome P-450. Its insulinotropic effect is further enhanced by activation of protein kinase C and increases in diacylglycerol (DAG) levels, while protein kinase A activity appears to play a permissive role. RX871024 also modulates the phosphorylation of cytosolic proteins such as nonmuscle myosin heavy chain-A, which may be involved in insulin secretion signaling. Collectively, these multifaceted actions make RX871024 a potential lead compound for the development of novel antidiabetic therapies.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide built from four amino acids: alanine, glutamate, aspartate, and glycine. It is not extracted from a natural source but made in the laboratory by chemical synthesis. Its short length makes it relatively straightforward to produce at high purity.
No naturally occurring free form of the peptide has been described. The four-amino-acid sequence can appear as a fragment within larger proteins, but that is not the same as the intact compound being present as a circulating molecule. Materials used in research are synthetic.
Purity is usually checked by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, which separates the target peptide from related impurities. Mass spectrometry is commonly used alongside it to confirm molecular mass. Some suppliers also provide amino acid analysis for additional sequence confirmation.
No. Epithalamin is a heterogeneous peptide fraction obtained from pineal gland extract and contains many components. Epitalon is a single synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. Researchers synthesised the shorter peptide while attempting to identify active sequences within the extract.