title: Isolation and characterization of bovine plasma prekallikrein (Fletcher factor).
abstract: Prekallikrein (Fletcher factor) has been purified from bovine plasma approximately 25 000-fold with an overall yield of 14%. Purification steps included ammonium sulfate fractionation and column chromatography on heparin-agarose, DEAE-Sephadex, CM-Sephadex, benzamidine-agarose, and arginine methyl ester-agarose. The purified protein was homogeneous as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino-terminal sequence analysis. Bovine plasma prekallikrein is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 82 000 as determined by sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation. It contains 12.9% carbohydrate, including 6.2% hexose, 4.5% N-acetylglucosamine, and 2.2% N-acetylneuraminic acid. Prekallikrein is a single polypeptide chain with an amino-terminal sequence of Gly-Cys-Leu-Thr-Gln-Leu-Tyr-His-Asn-Ile-Phe-Phe-Arg-Gly-Gly. This sequence is homologous to the amino-terminal sequence of human factor XI (plasma thromboplastin antecedent). Both prekallikrein and kallikrein require kaolin to correct Fletcher factor deficient plasma. Kallikrein, however, has a specific activity 3.5 times greater than prekallikrein. Prekallikrein does not correct plasma deficient in factor XII (Hageman factor), factor XI, or high molecular weight kininogen (Fitzgerald factor).
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D005172:Factor XI; D006801:Humans; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011288:Prekallikrein / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002241:Carbohydrates; D005172:Factor XI; D011288:Prekallikrein; D007610:Kallikreins