Cobalamin and its binding protein in rat milk.

Cobalamin and its binding protein, haptocorrin, are present in rat milk throughout the lactation period. The concentration of cobalamin is approximately 0.3-times the concentration of the unsaturated binding protein. The concentration of the unsaturated cobalamin-binding protein varies between 18 nmol l-1 and 16 nmol l-1. The binding protein has a Stokes radius of 2.49 nm when saturated with cobalamin and 2.61 nm when unsaturated. It binds cobalamin over a broad range of pH and is able to bind cobinamide also. With immunohistochemistry, we find haptocorrin immunoreactivity in the mammary glands and in the sebaceous glands of the nipple.