Purification, Characterization, and Biological Compartmentalization of Rat Fetal Antigen 1

• Published in: Biology of reproduction Vol. 63; no. 1; pp. 30 - 33
• Main Authors: CARLSSON, H.-E, PERSDOTTER-HEDLUND, G, FRIES, E, ERIKSSON, U. J, HAU, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison, WI Society for the Study of Reproduction 01.07.2000
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Amino Acids - analysis; Amniotic Fluid - immunology; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Compartmentation; conceptus; Cross Reactions; developmental biology; Electrophoresis - methods; Female; Fetal Blood - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glycoproteins - chemistry; Glycoproteins - isolation & purification; Glycoproteins - metabolism; Humans; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Mother. Fetoplacental unit. Mammary gland. Milk; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal - immunology; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Vertebrates: reproduction; Antigen; Compartmentalization; Pregnancy; Urine; Animal model; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Purification; Rat; Amniotic fluid; Rodentia; Blood plasma
• ISSN: 0006-3363; 1529-7268; 1529-7268
• DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod63.1.30

This study has established the rat as an animal model for the analysis of the biological role of fetal antigen 1 (FA1), a protein previously described in humans and mice. FA1 was purified from rat amniotic fluid by immunospecific affinity chromatography. Immunochemical identity between mouse and rat FA1 was established by crossed tandem immunoelectrophoresis. Molecular size was analyzed by mass spectrometry (33 kDa). The amino acid composition was determined, and the amino acid sequence was analyzed. The overall amino acid composition and sequence of the 28 first N-terminal amino acids were identical to the corresponding parts of rat preadipocyte factor 1 and rat adrenal zona glomerulosa protein. Extensive sequence similarity was found between rat and mouse FA1 (86%) and between rat and human FA1 (82%). The concentration of FA1 in fetal serum, maternal serum, urine, and amniotic fluid in rats was determined using an ELISA. The highest concentrations were found in fetal serum and amniotic fluid around Day 18 of pregnancy. This is the first report on the physicochemical characteristics and compartmentalization of rat FA1.