RESTRICTED VARIATION IN THE GLYCOSYLATION OF HUMAN ALPHA(1)-ACID GLYCOPROTEIN

The glycosylation patterns of multiglycosylated proteins reflect both the cellular control of glycosyl transferase activity and the local co ntrol of the transfer event. Little information is available concernin g these mechanisms. Changes in glycosylation occur in the disease stat e and provide a convenient way of examining the control mechanism(s) o perating at individual glycosylation sites. Chromatographic methods ha ve been applied to the human orosomucoid (OMD) isolated from seventeen different pathologies. Based on the distribution of the glycans at th e individual sites it is clear that the major protein-glycan interacti ons that restrict glycosylation in ''normal'' OMD remain intact in the disease state in the presence of changing glycosyl transferase activi ty.