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.). 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.
D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000652:urine; D006146:Guanidines; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000652:urine; D009438:Neuraminic Acids; D011108:Polymers; D014461:Ultracentrifugation
D006023:Glycoproteins; D006146:Guanidines; D009438:Neuraminic Acids; D011108:Polymers