Basis of microheterogeneity of myelin basic protein.

The basic protein of bovine central nervous system myelin contains a single polypeptide chain of 170 amino acids. Multiple components of basic protein have been observed on disc gel electrophoresis and ion exchange chromatography at alkaline pH, but the basis of the microheterogeneity has not been established. In the present study myelin basic protein from bovine spinal cord was chromatographed on carboxymethylcellulose at pH 10.4 in glycine buffer/2 M urea. Three major peaks were obtained, identified as components 4, 5, and 6 in the oder of their elution from the column by a linear salt gradient. The amino acid compositions of tryptic peptides from components 4 and 6 were identical and the COOH-terminal sequence, Ala-Arg-Arg, was intact for all three components. Component 4 was found to differ from component 6 by partial phosphorylation of threonine 98 and serine 165. This modification was estimated to account for 50% of component 4. Component 5 differed from component 6 by partial deamidation of glutamine residues 103 and 147, which accounted for 80% of this component. These modified glutamine residues were also present in component 4 and constituted another 15% of this component. It was considered that component 6 was the native, unmodified species of basic protein and that component 4 differed by a net negative charge of 2, and component 5 by a net negative charge of.1 as a result of these modifications. The nonrandom nature of the modifications suggested the involvement of specific enzymes.