Single-chain structure of human ceruloplasmin: the complete amino acid sequence of the whole molecule.

We have determined the amino acid sequence of the amino-terminal 67,000-dalton (67-kDa) fragment of human ceruloplasmin and have established overlapping sequences between the 67-kDa and 50-kDa fragments and between the 50-kDa and 19-kDa fragments. The 67-kDa fragment contains 480 amino acid residues and three glucosamine oligosaccharides. These results together with our previous sequence data for the 50-kDa and 19-kDa fragments complete the amino acid sequence of human ceruloplasmin. The polypeptide chain has a total of 1,046 amino acid residues (Mr 120,085) and has attachment sites for four glucosamine oligosaccharides; together these account for the total molecular mass of human ceruloplasmin (132 kDa). The sequence analysis of the peptides overlapping the fragments showed that one additional amino acid, arginine, is present between the 67-kDa and 50-kDa fragments, and another, lysine, is between the 50-kDa and 19-kDa fragments. Only two apparent sites of amino acid interchange have been identified in the polypeptide chain. Both involve a single-point interchange of glycine and lysine that would result in a difference in charge. The results of the complete sequence analysis verified that human ceruloplasmin is composed of a single polypeptide chain and that the subunit-like fragments are produced by proteolytic cleavage during purification (and possibly also in vivo).