Carbohydrate compositions of the rabbit plasminogen isozymes

Abstract

The carbohydrate compositions of the two affinity-chromatography-resolved isozymes of rabbit plasminogen and plasmin as well as the isoelectric-focusing-resolved subforms of each plasminogen isozyme have been investigated in detail. The first plasminogen isozyme as well as its subforms all possess four to five residues of N-acetylglucosamine, two residues of N-acetylgalactosamine, three residues of mannose and five residues of galactose per molecule of protein. Additionally, we previously reported three residues of sialic acid present on this protein molecule. The corresponding plasmin heavy chain for this isozyme contains essentially all of the carbohydrate, and the plasmin light chain appears devoid of carbohydrate. On the other hand, the second plasminogen isozyme as well as its subforms all possess only trace amounts of N-acetylglucosamine, two residues of N-acetylgalactosamine, less than one residue of mannose and three residues of galactose per molecule of protein. In addition, we have previously reported two residues of sialic acid for this molecule. Here, also, all carbohydrate appears on the heavy chain of the plasmin, which is prepared by activation of this particular plasminogen. Thus, the carbohydrate differences which we reported earlier in rabbit plasminogen isozymes are confirmed and extended.