Is growth hormone composed of proteins

Growth hormone is a protein hormone composed of 191 amino acids. As an important peptide hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, its chemical essence is a spherical protein with a single peptide chain, with a molecular weight of about 22kDa and typical protein quaternary structural characteristics.

1. Chemical essence:

Growth hormone belongs to the peptide class of protein hormones, and its molecular structure contains two disulfide bonds to maintain spatial conformation. Through X-ray crystal diffraction, it was confirmed that the active center is composed of arginine residues at positions 53 and 165, which determine the binding ability with the receptor based on this specific amino acid sequence.

2. Synthesis process:

In the endoplasmic reticulum of pituitary eosinophils, pre growth hormone containing 217 amino acids is first synthesized, and after enzymatic digestion to remove the signal peptide, mature hormone is formed. This process involves multiple protein post-translational modification steps, including typical protein processing mechanisms such as glycosylation and phosphorylation.

3. Structural features:

has a typical globular protein structure with an alpha helix proportion of over 50%, and four anti parallel alpha helices form the core framework. This spatial conformation enables it to specifically bind to growth hormone receptors on the surface of liver cell membranes, triggering the JAK-STAT signaling pathway.

4. Metabolic characteristics: As a protein hormone,

has a half-life of about 20 minutes in the bloodstream and is mainly degraded by proteasomes in the liver and kidneys. This metabolic pathway is fundamentally different from steroid hormones and conforms to the breakdown law of protein substances.

5. Clinical application:

Recombinant human growth hormone is produced using the Escherichia coli expression system, and the human growth hormone gene is transferred into bacterial plasmids through genetic engineering. This production process fully demonstrates its protein properties, and the finished product needs to be refrigerated to maintain protein stability.

For people who need to pay attention to their growth hormone levels, it is recommended to regularly test the insulin-like growth factor-1IGF-1 index. Ensuring daily intake of high-quality protein, especially foods rich in tryptophan and lysine such as dairy products and fish, helps with endogenous hormone synthesis. Regular sleep and moderate exercise can maintain normal pituitary function and avoid behaviors that affect the secretion rhythm of protein hormones, such as staying up late. During the growth and development period of children, it is particularly important to pay attention to the synergistic supplementation of calcium and vitamin D to promote the biological effects of growth hormone.