Direct identification of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid in the sequencing of vitamin K-dependent proteins.

We report the first direct method for the identification of the vitamin K-dependent Ca2+ binding amino acid, gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla), in the sequencing of proteins. The carboxyl groups on the protein are first converted to methyl esters with methanolic HCl, a procedure that reduces the polarity of the resulting ATZ derivative of dimethyl-Gla and so greatly improves its extraction from the polybrene-treated glass fiber filter. After conversion to the PTH derivative in methanolic HCl, the resulting dimethyl ester of PTH Gla can be identified directly by a simple modification of the standard HPLC program for the separation of PTH derivatives. This methylation procedure can be used to identify Gla residues in proteins bound to PVDF membranes, as we demonstrate for matrix Gla protein and prothrombin, and to evaluate directly the degree of partial gamma-carboxylation at given glutamic acid residues, as we demonstrate for the 50% gamma-carboxylation of residue 17 in human bone Gla protein.