The thermal polymerization of orosomucoid

1. Orosomucoid was prepared from the urine of a nephrotic patient and polymerized by heating it in a range of salt concentrations at pH4.1. 2. Heating at low ionic strengths produced a ;chain' polymer of indefinite length but having the same width as the diameter of the monomer (5.0nm.). Simila...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biochemical journal 1969-02, Vol.111 (3), p.345-352
Main Authors: Spragg, S P, Halsall, H B, Flewett, T H, Barclay, G R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chromatography, Gel
Glycoproteins - isolation & purification
Glycoproteins - urine
Guanidines
Hot Temperature
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Microscopy, Electron
Nephrotic Syndrome - urine
Neuraminic Acids
Polymers
Ultracentrifugation
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Summary:1. Orosomucoid was prepared from the urine of a nephrotic patient and polymerized by heating it in a range of salt concentrations at pH4.1. 2. Heating at low ionic strengths produced a ;chain' polymer of indefinite length but having the same width as the diameter of the monomer (5.0nm.). Similar treatment in high ionic strengths also produced a spherical (;ball') polymer of limited diameter (14.8nm.). 3. The size and shape of both polymers were determined from ultra-centrifuge, gel-filtration and electron-microscope results. The results suggest that eight monomer units condense to form the ball polymer. 4. Heating orosomucoid at pH1.8 hydrolysed the N-acetylneuraminic acid off the molecule; only chains could then be formed, even in high ionic strengths. 5. Both polymers were stable under normal conditions but could be depolymerized in 3m-guanidine hydrochloride. The monomer could be repolymerized on heating: the ;chain monomer' only formed chains at all ionic strengths, but the ;ball monomer' was indistinguishable from the original monomer in its immunological properties and polymerization reaction.
ISSN:0264-6021
0306-3283
1470-8728
DOI:10.1042/bj1110345