Physical and chemical characterization of vitellogenin from the hemolymph and eggs of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta.

1. Vitellogenin has been purified from mature eggs and the hemolymph of adult females of Manduca sexta by a combination of gel permeation chromatography and sodium bromide density gradient centrifugation. 2. It has a molecular weight of 2.6 x 10(5) and is a glycolipoprotein containing approx 11% lipids and 3% carbohydrates. 3. The carbohydrate moiety is comprised entirely of mannose and N-acetyl glucosamine. 4. Two polypeptide chains are present with molecular weights of 1.8 x 10(5) and 5.0 x 10(4). 5. Partial proteolytic hydrolysis of vitellogenin resulted in the degradation of the large polypeptide but did not affect the small one, suggesting that the small polypeptide is located in the interior of the particle. 6. The proteolytic hydrolysis products of the large polypeptide differed from one another by approx 12.5 x 10(3) daltons.