Aei. Proudfoot et al., THE COMPLETE PRIMARY STRUCTURE OF GLYCOSYLATED PORCINE PLATELET FACTOR-4, European journal of biochemistry, 228(3), 1995, pp. 658-664
We have purified platelet factor 4 from porcine platelets and shown th
at it is glycosylated. The purified protein migrated as a broad band a
t approximately 14 000 Da, characteristic of glycoproteins. Electrospr
ay mass spectroscopy of the intact protein gave a predominant mass of
11 111 Da, with a minor component of 10 804 Da. Sialidase digestion re
duces both forms to a single mass of 10 497 Da. Upon Edman degradation
, the amino terminus was found to be blocked by the presence of a pyro
glutamate residue. We have determined the complete primary structure o
f platelet factor 4 by peptide mapping and Edman degradation, thereby
completing information on the amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal regi
ons which is missing in the previously published partial sequence. Seq
uencing of the intact and deglycosylated protein show that the glycosy
lation site is at Thr8. The amino acid composition accounts for a mass
of 9623 Da, and the carbohydrate moeity was found to contribute 1490
Da. The biological activity of the porcine protein has been compared t
o recombinant human platelet factor 4 in an endothelial cell prolifera
tion assay; both inhibit at a concentration giving half the maximal in
hibition of 0.1 mu M. Removal of the 19 amino-terminal residues carryi
ng the carbohydrate moiety results in no change in the biological acti
vity.