Wolverine (BPC-157 + TB-500) at a glance
Wolverine is the catalogue name for a co-formulated reference material that contains two synthetic peptides, BPC-157 and TB-500, in a single vial. This profile records the chemical identity of each peptide, the physical description of the co-formulated specimen, and the analytical steps used to confirm that both peptides are present and to estimate the purity of each. Because the material is a two-peptide blend rather than a single compound, its identity testing differs from that of a single-component specimen, and that difference is the subject of this profile. The co-formulated material is supplied strictly as a reference material for in-vitro study. The product page is Wolverine (BPC-157 + TB-500), and BPC-157 is also catalogued on its own as BPC-157. For the identity landscape of the TB-500 component on its own, see the TB-500 identity and verification page.
BPC-157: sequence and molecular identity
BPC-157 is a pentadecapeptide, a chain of fifteen amino-acid residues. Its one-letter sequence is GEPPPGKPADDAGLV, which in three-letter notation is Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val. The sequence corresponds to a partial sequence of a protein identified in gastric juice, which is the origin of the BPC (body protection compound) name used in the literature; here the name is read purely as compound identity. BPC-157 is registered under CAS number 137525-51-0 and appears in PubChem as compound CID 108101. Its molecular formula is C62H98N16O22, corresponding to an average molecular weight of approximately 1419.5 g/mol. The three proline residues in a row at positions 3 to 5 give the chain a distinctive backbone geometry that is useful when a separation method is chosen for identity work.
TB-500: a thymosin beta-4 fragment, and a note on naming
TB-500 is a synthetic peptide named after thymosin beta-4 (Tb4), a naturally occurring 43-residue protein. In practice the label TB-500 is used in the literature and the market for more than one species: sometimes for a short acetylated fragment corresponding to a central region of thymosin beta-4 (the sequence Ac-Leu-Lys-Lys-Thr-Glu-Thr-Gln), and sometimes for the full 43-residue, N-acetylated thymosin beta-4 itself. The short fragment has an average molecular weight near 889 g/mol, whereas full-length thymosin beta-4 (CAS 77591-33-4) has a molecular formula of C212H350N56O78S and an average molecular weight of approximately 4963 g/mol. Because a single name covers two very different masses, the species actually present in a given vial is a question that only analysis can answer, and it is recorded on the Certificate of Analysis rather than inferred from the name.
Physical description and laboratory handling
As supplied, Wolverine is typically a lyophilised (freeze-dried) white to off-white powder containing both peptides. For laboratory handling, the dry solid is generally kept cold, dry, and shielded from light. When a solution is required for analytical work, the powder is dissolved in an appropriate laboratory solvent such as sterile water. Prepared solutions are commonly divided into aliquots and kept frozen, and repeated freezing and thawing of a single aliquot is usually avoided so that the measured identity and purity of each peptide are not affected by handling. These are storage and handling notes for a research specimen only.
Confirming identity and purity of a two-peptide blend
Testing a two-peptide blend answers two questions together: are both intended peptides present, and how pure is each. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separates the sample into its components. BPC-157 and the TB-500 peptide differ in size, charge, and hydrophobicity, so reversed-phase HPLC resolves them as two peaks at different retention times, and the area of each main peak relative to the total gives an estimated purity figure for that component. Mass spectrometry then confirms identity. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) measure each intact mass precisely and match it to the theoretical value from each peptide’s formula: close to 1419.5 for BPC-157, and the value expected for whichever TB-500 species the blend is specified to contain. For a blend, matching two separate masses is essential, because a single combined purity number cannot by itself show that both peptides are present or that the second peak is the intended second peptide rather than an impurity. The two analytical techniques are compared in HPLC versus mass spectrometry.
University-core testing and the Certificate of Analysis
Each batch of Wolverine supplied here is characterised for identity and purity at the USC Alfred E. Mann Multi-Omics Mass Spectrometry Core, a university laboratory, using LC-MS and HRMS. A two-peptide blend places more weight on this step than a single compound does, because two masses must be confirmed rather than one. The Certificate of Analysis is published rather than kept on request, so the analytical basis for the label can be checked; a published batch for this co-formulation has been documented under the lot reference B10001. A certificate for a blend generally reports the observed mass of each peptide against its theoretical value, a main-peak percentage, a batch or lot number, and the instrument and method used. How each batch is documented is described in how every batch is documented, how to read the resulting fields is set out in how to read a peptide Certificate of Analysis, and the single-compound identity is covered in the BPC-157 research profile. Collected certificates are held in the COA library.
Where this co-formulation sits in the catalogue
Wolverine is one of the co-formulated reference materials in the catalogue, sitting alongside other multi-component specimens. Its two components are each studied in the wider literature, and BPC-157 is catalogued and documented on its own as well, so a laboratory can reference the single compound or the two-peptide material depending on the study. The practical points from this profile are that the vial holds two distinct masses, that each is confirmed independently by mass spectrometry, and that the per-batch certificate records both figures. The full range is on the shop page, and a related identity profile is linked from each product.
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.
Frequently asked questions
What is Wolverine (BPC-157 + TB-500)?
Wolverine is the catalogue name for a co-formulated reference material that holds two synthetic peptides in one vial: BPC-157, a 15-residue peptide (CAS 137525-51-0), and TB-500, a synthetic peptide named after thymosin beta-4. It is supplied as a single specimen for laboratory study.
What is the molecular weight of BPC-157?
BPC-157 has the molecular formula C62H98N16O22 and an average molecular weight of approximately 1419.5 g/mol, registered under CAS 137525-51-0 and listed in PubChem as CID 108101. Its sequence is Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val.
Why does the name TB-500 refer to more than one molecule?
TB-500 is named after thymosin beta-4, a 43-residue protein. The label is used both for a short acetylated fragment (Ac-Leu-Lys-Lys-Thr-Glu-Thr-Gln, near 889 g/mol) and for the full 43-residue protein (CAS 77591-33-4, near 4963 g/mol). Because one name covers two masses, the species present in a vial is confirmed by analysis and recorded on the Certificate of Analysis.
How is a two-peptide blend tested for identity and purity?
Reversed-phase HPLC resolves the two peptides as two separate peaks, and the area of each relative to the total gives an estimated purity figure per component. Mass spectrometry (LC-MS and HRMS) then confirms each peptide independently by matching its observed mass to the theoretical value from its formula. Each batch here is tested at the USC Alfred E. Mann Multi-Omics Mass Spectrometry Core with a published Certificate of Analysis.
Is a Certificate of Analysis available for this co-formulation?
Yes. The certificate is published rather than kept on request; a documented batch for this co-formulation carries the lot reference B10001. It reports the observed mass of each peptide against its theoretical value, a main-peak percentage, the batch or lot number, and the method and instrument used. Collected certificates are in the COA library.