Calcium-binding proteins in serum of chickens: vitellogenin and albumin.

The Ca-binding proteins of hen serum were resolved by gel filtration in 45Ca buffer and were named CaBP(1) and CaBP(2). The major calcium-binding protein, CaBP(1), had a molecular size of 6.0 X 10(5) daltons and appears to be vitellogenin. Deeley et al. (1975) described vitellogenin as the precursor of lipovitellin and phosvitin, the Ca-binding proteins of egg yolk. The present paper demonstrates that "native" vitellogenin is a calcium-binding protein in the serum of laying chickens. The CaBP(2) co-eluted with and was immunologically identical to chicken serum albumin which also bound 45Ca. Data from elution profiles and phosphorus assays indicated that CaBP(1) and CaBP(2) were different from phosvitin and the Ca-binding proteins of the duodenum and uterus.