[Resolution of Bbeta and gamma chains from normal human fibrinogen Zürich II into 2 variants with each differing sialic acid content].

The gamma- and Bbeta-polypeptide chains of purified human fibrinogen (both pooled and single donor) have each been resolved into 2 major components: gammaL and gammaR, and BbetaL and BbetaR. They are similar in molecular weight (SDS-PAGE), but differ in sialic acid content, which approximates 2 and 1 residues per molecular of polypeptide in the L- and R-components respectively. Tryptic peptide maps of the L-and R- forms of the gamma chain showed differences within the small group of peptides containing the sialic acid residues. No differences between the peptide maps of BbetaL- and BbetaR-chains were found . A larger ratio of L:R in the gamma- and Bbeta-chains of dysfibrinogenemia fibrinogen "Zürich II" explains the higher content of sialic acid measured in the unmodified Zürich II fibrinogen molecule.