Tamm-Horsfall urinary glycoprotein. The chemical composition

Abstract

1. A revised amino acid and carbohydrate composition of human Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein is presented. 2. No significant differences were obtained in the amino acid composition of Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis. 3. The glycoprotein was shown to possess a high half-cystine content of 1 per 11-12 amino acid residues, which has been confirmed by performic acid oxidation and S-alkylation with iodoacetate and iodoacetamide. No thiol groups were detected in the glycoprotein. 4. Treatment of the glycoprotein with 0.5m-sodium hydroxide at 4 degrees C for 2 days did not release heterosaccharide material, which suggests that the predominant carbohydrate-protein linkages present are not of the O-glycosidic type. 5. No N-terminal amino acid was detected in the glycoprotein.