Epitalon (Epithalon): Structure, Telomerase Research, and Handling
A reference overview of the Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly tetrapeptide: what it is, what the published work covers, and how it is handled in the lab.
Epitalon, also spelled epithalon, is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG), a molecular weight of about 390 Da, and CAS number 307297-39-8. It was designed by the Russian gerontologist Vladimir Khavinson's group as a defined, synthetic version of epithalamin, a polypeptide extract of the bovine pineal gland.
The names are easy to confuse. Epithalamin is the natural pineal extract; epitalon (epithalon) is the four-amino-acid peptide sold as a research chemical. The two spellings, epitalon and epithalon, refer to the same compound.
What is epitalon studied for?
Most published epitalon work falls into three areas. The first is telomerase and telomere biology: the Khavinson group reported that epitalon induced telomerase activity and telomere elongation in cultured human somatic cells. The second is pineal and melatonin biology: because the peptide derives from a pineal extract, studies in aged animals examined its effect on melatonin secretion and circadian-rhythm markers. The third is lifespan and ageing models, where rodent studies from Russian groups reported effects on survival, tumour incidence, and ageing biomarkers.
What the literature does and does not show
Much of the epitalon literature comes from a small number of related research groups in St. Petersburg, and independent replication in other laboratories is limited. A telomerase effect in cell culture does not by itself establish an effect on organismal ageing, and no claim of that kind is made here. The literature is best treated as hypothesis-generating, with protocols designed around appropriate controls.
Epitalon, epithalon, and N-acetyl epitalon amidate
Epitalon and epithalon are two spellings of the same peptide. N-acetyl epitalon amidate is a different compound: a chemically modified analog with an acetylated N-terminus and an amidated C-terminus, designed to resist enzymatic degradation. It is not the compound described in this article or supplied under the epitalon listings.
Reconstitution and handling
QSC supplies epitalon as a lyophilized acetate salt in 10-vial packs of 10 mg and 50 mg vials. Reconstitution at 2-5 mg/mL in sterile water is typical; refrigerate the solution and protect it from light. Its half-life in solution is short, so aliquot to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and keep long-term stock as lyophilized powder at -20°C.
