Tammar Wallaby Plasma Protease Inhibitory (Pi) Proteins

Abstract

Electrophoretic examination (isoelectric focusing and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) of 157 plasmas from a Kangaroo Island population of tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) resulted in the identification of five putative condominant protease inhibitor alleles, F, I, M, P and S, which exhibited microheterogeneity due to variable terminal sialic acid content. The frequencies of the five alleles in this popUlation were 0.041(F), 0.682(1), 0.194(M), 0.073(P) and O.OIO(S). The proteins had isoelectric points in the pH range 3.94-4.38, Mr of 60 500 to 66 000 and were identified as protease inhibitors by their abilities to inhibit both trypsin and chymotrypsin. Protein blotting of the denatured proteins demonstrated cross reaction with antiserum to human ai-protease inhibitor.