Identification and characterization of the chicken transferrin receptor

Among a panel of monoclonal antibodies that recognize chicken haematopoietic-differentiation antigens, one, JS 8, was found to immunoprecipitate a 95000-Mr cell-surface protein from chicken erythroblasts transformed with avian-erythroblastosis virus. This protein was shown, by affinity chromatography on immobilized chicken transferrin (conalbumin), to be the chicken transferrin receptor. Although immunologically unrelated to the human transferrin receptor, biochemical comparison of the chicken transferrin receptor to the human receptor showed similarities with respect to the pattern of biosynthesis, degree of glycosylation, dimerization in the absence of reducing agents and subcellular localization. The present report contrasts with recent ones describing the chicken transferrin receptor isolated from embryonic tissues as a 58000-Mr protein.