Vitamin A and thyroxine carrier proteins in chicken plasma: steady-state control of the plasma level of free retinol-binding protein and free thyroxine.

1. The binding parameters of prealbumin-2 with retinol-binding protein and thyroxine (T4) revealed the existence of distinct and multiple sites for both retinol-binding protein and T4. 2. From the analysis of binding parameters of retinol-binding protein with prealbumin-2 it is clear that under steady-state conditions about 99% of the holo-retinol-binding protein remains bound to prealbumin-2. 3. Equilibrium dialysis studies on binding properties of thyroid hormones with prealbumin-2 revealed that it has a single high affinity site and three low affinity sites. 4. The occurrence of three carrier proteins for thyroid hormones, thyroxine-binding globulin, prealbumin-2 and albumin has been demonstrated. However, the chicken thyroxine-binding globulin differs from human thyroxine-binding globulin by being relatively less acidic and occurring at a two-fold lower concentration. But the thyroid hormone binding parameters are comparable. 5. Highly sensitive methods were developed for determination of T4 binding capacities of the various proteins and plasma level of total T4 by fractionation of carrier proteins and further quantitatively employing in electrophoresis and equilibrium dialysis. 6. The thyroxine-binding proteins were found to be of two types, one (viz., thyroxine-binding globulin) of great affinity but of low binding capacity, which mainly acts as reservoir of T4, and another (viz., prealbumin-2) of low affinity but of high binding capacity, which can participate predominantly in the control of the free T4 pool.