The microheterogeneity of rat TBG.

Isoelectric focusing (IEF) of native sera from immature or adult rats and of purified or partially purified rat serum thyroid hormone-binding proteins, demonstrates that rat TBG is a microheterogeneous protein. Autoradiography and radioactivity scans of the IEF plates show that it consists of at least four main isoforms, with bands at pH 4.35, 4.45, 4.5 and 4.55. This pattern is remarkably similar to that reported for human TBG. This is the first demonstration of the polymorphism of this recently discovered major binding protein of the rat.