The role of carbohydrates in the radioimmunoassay of human low-molecular-mass kininogen

The immunoreactivity of human low-molecular-mass kininogen from Cohn plasma fraction IV was investigated after deglycosylations and carbohydrate modifications by radioimmunoassay using the conformation-specific antiserum. Removal of all sialic acids, 44% of amino sugars and 63% of neutral sugars did not alter the immunoreactivity of the protein but the periodate-treated concanavalin A fractions showed strikingly diminished immunoreactivity. A conformational change could account for the observed effect of periodate on the decreased reactivity of the protein in radioimmunoassay. Externally added carbohydrates had no effect on immunoreactivity. The results suggest that the carbohydrate part of kininogen is not involved in the immunoreactivity although it accounts for the observed lectin-binding heterogeneity.