Albumin Paris 2: a new genetic variant distinguished by isoelectric focusing

Until recently, the characterization of genetic variants of human serum albumin was performed by electrophoretic typing prior to the determination of their amino acid substitutions. We describe a procedure using isoelectric focusing in the presence of urea for the analysis of the genetic variation of albumin. This procedure allowed a clear distinction of a new variant, previously found to be identical with albumin Sondrio according to its relative electrophoretic mobilities at 3 pHs. This new variant, the third rare albumin allotype identified in the Ile-de-France region, was called albumin Paris 2.