Glycoprotein hormone
HCG
Also known as Human chorionic gonadotropin
92-residue alpha + 145-residue beta subunit · ~36.7 kDa
A heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone and LH-receptor agonist, long used as a reference standard in endocrine and reproductive-biology research.
HCG pairs an alpha subunit shared across the glycoprotein hormones with a distinctive beta subunit. It binds the LH/choriogonadotropin receptor, a class-A GPCR, driving Gs-coupled cAMP accumulation and steroidogenesis through StAR protein upregulation. Its circulating half-life is considerably longer than luteinizing hormone because terminal sialic-acid residues slow hepatic clearance, which is the structural detail most often studied in comparisons between the two.
Common research areas
- LHCGR binding and cAMP assays
- Leydig / granulosa steroidogenesis
- Immunoassay calibration
In our catalog
HCG 5000 iu · $60 CAD · ≥99% HPLC
Selected references
- 1. Hormonal and Allosteric Regulation of the Luteinizing Hormone/Chorionic Gonadotropin Receptor. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed), 2024. PMID 39344322
- 2. Human Luteinizing Hormone and Chorionic Gonadotropin Display Biased Agonism at the LH and LH/CG Receptors. Sci Rep, 2017. PMID 28424471
- 3. Glycoprotein hormone structure-function and analog design. Recent Prog Horm Res, 1999. PMID 10548880
For laboratory research use only. Reference information, not usage guidance or dosing advice.