Characterization of alpha1-antitrypsin in the inclusion bodies from the liver in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency.

alpha1-antitrypsin was isolated from periodic acid-Schiff-positive inclusion bodies from the hepatocytes of patients with alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and further purified to enable more detailed chemical analysis. Amino acid and cyanogen bromide fragmentation studies showed a close similarity between hepatic and serum (PiMM) antitrypsin in contrast to the carbohydrate analysis, which revealed markedly deficient glycosylation of hepatic antitrypsin. A complete lack of sialic acid and a relative deficiency of all other carbohydrate components could fully explain the difference of approximately 6000 daltons in molecular size between the two proteins. The accumulation of hepatic globules is probably related to the physical properties of the defective antitrypsin, which include marked insolubility and tendency toward aggregation. The results strongly suggest an abnormal amino acid sequence in the peptide chain of the deficient antitrypsin. The interference with glycosylation may be related to steric hindrance.