Purification, partial characterization and peptide sequences of vitellogenin from a reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon...

Vitellogenin (Vg), a major precursor to egg yolk proteins, was purified from plasma of an estradiol-treated female tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) by MgCl2-EDTA precipitation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The amino acid composition of tuatara Vg is similar to that of other vertebtate Vgs and contains a large proportion of serine (13.7 mol/100 mol of total amino acid). The amino acid sequences of the N-terminus of mature Vg (33 residues) and of several trypsin- and CNBr-generated peptides were determined. Six peptide sequences obtained from tuatara Vg could be aligned with Vg sequences from other vertebrates. Reduced and non-reduced forms of tuatara Vg have the same apparent molecular mass (approximately 218 kDa) when resolved by SDS-PAGE, indicating that inter-chain disulfide bonds are not a feature of the molecule in this species. Western blot analysis with anti-tuatara Vg antiserum indicated that at least some epitopes are shared among Vgs of turtle, alligator and tuatara.