Production of recombinant human alpha(1)-microglobulin and mutant forms involved in chromophore formation
alpha-Microglobulin, a 26 kDa lipocalin present in plasma and tissues, carries a set of unknown chromophores, bound to C34, K92, KI 18 and KI 30, which cause its charge and size heterogeneity. In man, the protein is found in two forms, full length and lacking the C-terminal tetrapeptide LIPR (t-alpha(1)-microglobulin), both which are heme-binding and the latter with heme-degrading properties. We r
