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The very low density apolipoproteins were separated by a newly developed method of isoelectric focusing in a narrow pH gradient. Four polypeptides were isolated that differed from the major proteins of the high density or low density lipoproteins. Three of these proteins had indistinguishable amino acid compositions, but different isoelectric points, COOH-terminal alanine, no isoleucine, cysteine or cystine. Two of these polypeptides had NH₂-terminal serine. The polymorphism of apolipoprotein-Ala, so designated from the COON-terminal residue, was related to sialic acid content; one form contained 2 moles of sialic acid per mole of protein, the second, 1 mole of protein, and the third, no sialic acid. The fourth polypeptide had an amino acid composition different from the first three polypeptides and from other polyptides obtained from very low density lipoprotein. This polypeptide had NH₂-terminal threonine, COOH-terminal resistant to carboxypeptidase A, no histidine, cysteine, cystine or sialic acid. These four polypeptides constituted approx. 40% of the total protein in very low density lipoprotein.
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