Evidence for Multiple Cæruloplasmin Components in Human Serum

MORE than one component of human cæruloplasmin has been reported by several investigators¹. Morell and Scheinberg¹ have observed 4, possibly 5, components of cæruloplasmin by fractionating a pool composed of 9,109 individual sera. In such a large pool, infrequent unusual components would be easy to lose. Furthermore, the complex fractionation procedure provides opportunity for artefactual alteration of specific proteins. The resolving power of vertical starch-gel electrophoresis² combined with direct chemical and enzymic analysis on the gel provides a simple and elegant means of examining the problem in individual sera. Using this technique we have found 5 electrophoretically distinct proteins having one or more characteristic properties of cæruloplasmin.