Martel P, Kim S M, Powell B M
Biophys J. 1980 Sep;31(3):371-80. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(80)85065-X.
The technique of small angle neutron scattering has been used to determine the molecular shape, the volume, and the molecular weight of pooled human transferrin in an aqueous solution isotonic with blood. Analysis of the measurements assuming a spheroidal molecular shape indicates that an oblate spheroid with semi-axes of length 46.6 +/- 1.4, 46.6 +/- 1.4 and 15.8 +/- 3.8 A, and a molecular volume of (144 +/- 45) X 10(3) A3 is the best simple approximation to the shape of the transferrin molecule. The radius of gyration, Rg, determined from a Guinier plot is 30.25 +/- 0.49 A, in agreement with Rg calculated for the oblate spheroidal shape. The molecular weight is determined to be (75 +/- 5) X 10(3). The shape-independent molecular volume is found to be (98 +/- 10) X 10(3) A3. The difference in the two volumes suggests that transferrin is not a uniform spheroid but may have a more complex shape.
小角中子散射技术已被用于确定与血液等渗的水溶液中混合人转铁蛋白的分子形状、体积和分子量。假设分子形状为椭球体对测量结果进行分析表明，半轴长度分别为46.6±1.4 Å、46.6±1.4 Å和15.8±3.8 Å，分子体积为(144±45)×10³ ų的扁椭球体是转铁蛋白分子形状的最佳简单近似。由吉尼尔图确定的回转半径Rg为30.25±0.49 Å，与根据扁椭球体形状计算的Rg一致。确定分子量为(75±5)×10³。发现与形状无关的分子体积为(98±10)×10³ ų。这两个体积的差异表明转铁蛋白不是均匀的球体，可能具有更复杂的形状。
