Progesterone-binding proteins in plasma of guinea-pigs and other hystricomorph rodents

Progesterone-binding plasma proteins (PBPP, progesterone-binding globulin, PBG, and corticosteroid binding globulin, CBG) have been measured in plasma of guinea-pigs, casiragua, cuis, degu and plains viscacha. During pregnancy PBPP increased to reach peak values between Days 20-25 and Days 50-term in guinea-pigs, immediately before parturition in casiragua, and in mid-gestation in cuis, degu and viscacha. The pattern of PBPP concentration during pregnancy was similar to that of plasma progesterone concentration, and the ratio of molar concentration of PBPP and progesterone was greater than 1 in all species. Plasma proteins were separated by chromatography on SP-Sephadex C-50, and from its chromatographic behaviour and progesterone-binding property evidence was obtained for an anionic, high-affinity PBG in the plasma of all the animals studied during gestation: Electrophoretic mobility of SP-Sephadex-purified PBG applied to 7% polyacrylamide gels differed between species, being highest for casiragua PBG and lowest for guinea-pig PBG. Binding capacities ranged from 0.5 to 4.8 X 10(-6) M, and association constants from 7.6 to 17.4 X 10(8) M-1. Ligand specificities differed between species and marked contrasts were found for certain steroid isomers. The average molecular weights measured by gel electrophoresis of PBG under denaturing conditions were similar in cuis, degu and viscacha and close to PBG I of guinea-pigs, while coypu PBG had a molecular weight of about one half, approximately 75000. It is concluded that PBG has been adopted in pregnancy as a progesterone-conserving mechanism in this suborder of rodents with long gestation periods relative to maternal body weight. Restricted homologies in the physico-chemical characteristics of PBG from various hystricomorph rodents suggest that interspecific differences in structure are considerable.