Purification and properties of retinoic acid-binding protein from chick-embryo skin

Retinoic acid-binding protein, which is considered to mediate the biological function of retinoic acid in epithelial differentiation and in the possible control of tumorigenesis, was reproducibly purified from chick-embryo skin by using DEAE-Sephadex and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography and isoelectric focusing. About 1mg of protein was isolated from 60g of skin. The purified protein-ligand complex was found to be homogeneous by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. The binding protein has mol.wt. 17800 and pI 4.5. The binding of [3H]retinoic acid to the protein was completely inhibited by mercury compounds. The inhibition is reversible on treatment without dithithreitol; about 50% of the retinoic acid-binding capacity of the mercury-compound-treated protein is restored by chromatography on Sephadex G-25. iodoacetamide treatment of the protein irreversibly inhibits about 50% of retinoic acid binding.