The presence of γ-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein in atheromatous aortae

Abstract

It has been established that a γ-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein is present in rat aortae after long term atherogenic diet administration. A similar protein was proven to be present in turkey tibial tendons that are predisposed to undergo physiological calcification. The molecular weight and amino acid composition of both proteins were identical. They contained six glutamic acid residues per molecule, three of which were γ-carboxylated. The proteins studied were also identical in their N-terminal sequence over six residues. This sequence was fully coincident with that published for osteocalcin (Price, P.A., Poser, J.W. Raman, N. (1976) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 3374–3375). In the region corresponding to residues 20–26 in osteocalcin, a single replacement of valine for isoleucine was found in turkey tendon protein. From the physiological point of view it should be mentioned that the level of the γ-carboxyglutamic acid containing protein in atherogenic diet fed rat aortae exceeds that found normally in bone or in tissues predisposed for physiological calcification.