Partial resialylation of human asialotransferrin types 1 and 2 in the rat

125I-labeled asialotransferrin types 1 and 2 were administered in small doses to rats. The protein still in the plasma after 1-12 h was partially repurified and electrophoresed at pH 8.1, together with a transferrin standard that is composed of all six forms of the protein with respect to sialic acid content. The electrophoretic mobility of both asialotransferrins increased with time, type 2 being affected sooner than type 1. The changed mobility was due to increased electronegativity that was fully reversible by treatment of the samples with neuraminidase, thus identifying the underlying cause as partial resialylation. Asialotransferrin incubated in vitro with serum, plasma, or whole blood for 16 h exhibited no change in electrophoretic mobility. In conjunction with an earlier study on asialotransferrin type 3, it was found that the apparent speeds of resialylation of the three asialotransferrins were in the same order as their affinities for the asialoglycoprotein-binding hepatic lectin. This suggests the involvement of an endo- rather than of an ecto-transferase. Transfer of 59Fe from asialotransferrins to the liver was used to monitor the frequency of hepatocyte-asialotransferrin interactions. Iron deposition in the liver took place much more rapidly than the appearance of detectable quantities of partially resialylated asialotransferrin molecules in the circulation. It is concluded that each asialotransferrin molecule probably undergoes several passages through the hepatocyte before its glycans become modified.