N-glycans of human protein C inhibitor: tissue-specific expression and function.

ABSTRACT: Protein C inhibitor (PCI) is a serpin type of serine protease inhibitor that is found in many tissues and fluids in human, including blood plasma, seminal plasma and urine. This inhibitor displays an unusually broad protease specificity compared with other serpins. Previous studies have shown that the N-glycan(s) and the NH₂-terminus affect some blood-related functions of PCI. In this study, we have for the first time determined the N-glycan profile of seminal plasma PCI, by mass spectrometry. The N-glycan structures differed markedly compared with those of both blood-derived and urinary PCI, providing evidence that the N-glycans of PCI are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. The most abundant structure (m/z 2592.9) had a composition of Fuc₃Hex₅HexNAc₄, consistent with a core fucosylate

SUBMITTER: Sun W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3242763 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature