Biomaterial Database

Physical characteristics of human transferrin from small angle neutron scattering. 1980

P Martel, and S M Kim, and B M Powell

The technique of small angle neutron scattering has been used to determine the molecular shape, the volume, and the molecular weight of pooled human transferrin in an aqueous solution isotonic with blood. Analysis of the measurements assuming a spheroidal molecular shape indicates that an oblate spheroid with semi-axes of length 46.6 +/- 1.4, 46.6 +/- 1.4 and 15.8 +/- 3.8 A, and a molecular volume of (144 +/- 45) X 10(3) A3 is the best simple approximation to the shape of the transferrin molecule. The radius of gyration, Rg, determined from a Guinier plot is 30.25 +/- 0.49 A, in agreement with Rg calculated for the oblate spheroidal shape. The molecular weight is determined to be (75 +/- 5) X 10(3). The shape-independent molecular volume is found to be (98 +/- 10) X 10(3) A3. The difference in the two volumes suggests that transferrin is not a uniform spheroid but may have a more complex shape.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008433	Mathematics	The deductive study of shape, quantity, and dependence. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Mathematic
D008970	Molecular Weight	The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule.	Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D009502	Neutrons	Electrically neutral elementary particles found in all atomic nuclei except light hydrogen; the mass is equal to that of the proton and electron combined and they are unstable when isolated from the nucleus, undergoing beta decay. Slow, thermal, epithermal, and fast neutrons refer to the energy levels with which the neutrons are ejected from heavier nuclei during their decay.	Neutron
D011487	Protein Conformation	The characteristic 3-dimensional shape of a protein, including the secondary, supersecondary (motifs), tertiary (domains) and quaternary structure of the peptide chain. PROTEIN STRUCTURE, QUATERNARY describes the conformation assumed by multimeric proteins (aggregates of more than one polypeptide chain).	Conformation, Protein,Conformations, Protein,Protein Conformations
D006454	Hemoglobins	The oxygen-carrying proteins of ERYTHROCYTES. They are found in all vertebrates and some invertebrates. The number of globin subunits in the hemoglobin quaternary structure differs between species. Structures range from monomeric to a variety of multimeric arrangements.	Eryhem,Ferrous Hemoglobin,Hemoglobin,Hemoglobin, Ferrous
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012542	Scattering, Radiation	The diversion of RADIATION (thermal, electromagnetic, or nuclear) from its original path as a result of interactions or collisions with atoms, molecules, or larger particles in the atmosphere or other media. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Radiation Scattering,Radiation Scatterings,Scatterings, Radiation
D014168	Transferrin	An iron-binding beta1-globulin that is synthesized in the LIVER and secreted into the blood. It plays a central role in the transport of IRON throughout the circulation. A variety of transferrin isoforms exist in humans, including some that are considered markers for specific disease states.	Siderophilin,Isotransferrin,Monoferric Transferrins,Serotransferrin,Transferrin B,Transferrin C,beta 2-Transferrin,beta-1 Metal-Binding Globulin,tau-Transferrin,Globulin, beta-1 Metal-Binding,Metal-Binding Globulin, beta-1,Transferrins, Monoferric,beta 1 Metal Binding Globulin,beta 2 Transferrin,tau Transferrin