title: Iron-binding properties and amino acid composition of marsupial transferrins: comparison with eutherian mammals and other vertebrates.
abstract: 1. Some physicochemical properties of transferrin from three marsupials, viz a possum (Trachosurus vulpecula), a kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) and the quokka (Setonix brachyurus) were studied and compared with those of transferrins from mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrate species. 2. The molecular weight of the marsupial transferrins fell within the range of 76,000-79,000 daltons. 3. The marsupial transferrins were similar to the transferrins of eutherian mammals with respect to optical spectral properties, iron binding capacity and the pH-dependence of iron binding, and iron release mediated by 2,3-DPG. 4. The amino acid compositions of the marsupial transferrins were compared with each other and with the transferrins from the other vertebrate species. The compositions of the marsupial transferrin were closely related to each other, and also showed similarities with transferrins from eutherian mammals and chicken ovotransferrin.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D007614:Macropodidae / Q000097:blood; D008322:Mammals / Q000097:blood*; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000097:blood*; D009893:Opossums / Q000097:blood; D013045:Species Specificity; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D014168:Transferrin