title: Isolation and characterization of the basic proline-rich proteins from rat parotid saliva.
abstract: Five fractions of basic proline-rich proteins were isolated from rat parotid saliva, obtained by surgical cannulation of the ducts. The purification procedures employed DEAE-Sephadex to isolate a heterogeneous break-through fraction containing the basic proline-rich proteins, followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 to separate the high molecular weight glycoprotein, fraction A, from the other basic proline-rich proteins which were resolved into four additional fractions, SP-1 to SP-4, by ion exchange chromatography on SP-Sephadex. The proteins differed in their amino acid composition and content of neutral and amino sugars. All the proteins were characterized by a high proportion of proline (approx. 40 mol per cent) and glycine (11-23 mol per cent). Four of the fractions were also enriched in glutamic acid/glutamine (19-26 mol per cent). The exception was fraction SP-4, which contained lower levels of glutamic acid/glutamine and has no counterpart in human basic proline-rich proteins. Fraction A, the basic glycoprotein, was heavily glycosylated (59 mol per cent), whereas SP-2 and SP-4 were less glycosylated. Fractions SP-1 and SP-3 contained low levels of neutral and amino sugars. Basic proline-rich proteins constitute a smaller percentage of the total protein in rat parotid saliva than they do in human parotid saliva (10.5 versus 40 per cent). Rat basic glycoprotein fraction constitutes less than 1 per cent whereas the human glycoprotein fraction constitutes 17 per cent. Rat basic proline-rich proteins appear to be larger and less basic than most of the human basic proteins, and they resolve into fewer protein fractions (4 versus 9) with SP-Sephadex chromatography.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D008297:Male; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055232:Proline-Rich Protein Domains; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012463:Saliva / Q000032:analysis*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D010455:Peptides; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides