Selective labelling of apolipoproteins A-I and C-I at methionine residues by (3H) methyl exchange

Apolipoproteins C-I and A-I were radioactively labelled with tritium by (3H)-methyl exchange. The methionine residues were first methylated with (3H)-methyl iodide at pH 4 and the reaction products were purified by gel filtration and cation exchange chromatography. The products were then demethylated with 2-mercaptoethanol (6 M) at pH 8.6 to regenerate the apolipoproteins in an unmodified but tritiated form. The specific radioactivity for apolipoprotein C-I and A-I was 3.5 X 10(6) and 1.5 X 10(7) dpm/pmol respectively. The properties of (3H)-apolipoprotein C-I were examined by reversed phase HPLC and by incorporation into very low density lipoproteins (VLDL).