Abstract
A large and small molecular form of adenosine deaminase have been reported in advanced mammals, including man. The molecular weights of these enzyme forms are estimated to be 200,000 and 35,000, respectively, by gel filtration column chromatography. The small form can be reversibly converted into the large form in the presence of a conversion factor, a high molecular weight glycoprotein that is aggregated during this process. Previous studies have shown that the distribution of the two molecular forms of adenosine deaminase is tissue specific. The large form of the enzyme is predominant in human liver while the small form is predominant in human heart. It follows that the conversion factor is present in higher amounts within those tissues where the large form predominates. An attempt is made to study the conversion process and determine if the serum level of conversion factor is elevated in certain pathological conditions. This work was supported by a grant from the Indiana Delaware County Cancer Society.
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Starkey, J., Ma, C. & Ma, P. 80 A STUDY OF ADENOSINE DEAMINASE AND ITS CONVERSION FACTOR IN HUMAN SERUM. Pediatr Res 24, 124 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198807000-00104
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198807000-00104