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. 1997 Nov 15;328(Pt 1):185–191. doi: 10.1042/bj3280185

Intracellular coupling of bikunin and the heavy chain of rat pre-alpha-inhibitor in COS-1 cells.

A M Blom 1, M Thuveson 1, E Fries 1
PMCID: PMC1218904  PMID: 9359851

Abstract

Pre-alpha-inhibitor is a serum protein consisting of two polypeptides: bikunin of 16 kDa, which carries an 8 kDa chondroitin sulphate chain, and heavy chain 3 (H3) of 74 kDa. The two polypeptides are linked through an ester bond between an internal N-acetylgalactosamine residue of the chondroitin sulphate chain and the C-terminal aspartic acid residue of H3. Both bikunin and H3 are synthesized by hepatocytes and become linked as they pass through the Golgi complex. H3 is synthesized with both N- and C-terminal extensions which are released during intracellular transport. To be able to analyse the assembly of pre-alpha-inhibitor in detail, we have cloned and sequenced the cDNA of rat H3. Upon expression of the protein in COS-1 cells, both propeptides were found to be released. Furthermore, co-expression of H3 and bikunin resulted in the two polypeptides becoming coupled, indicating that cells other than hepatocytes may have the capacity to form chondroitin sulphate-containing links.

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Selected References

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