Distribution of zinc amongst human serum globulins determined by gel filtration-affinity chromatography and atomic-absorption spectrophotometry

Abstract

Gel-filtration chromatography was combined with affinity chromatography (for albumin) and electrothermal atomic-absorption spectrophotometry to investigate the distribution of zinc amongst normal human serum globulins. Most of the zinc associated with serum globulins appeared to be bound to α₂-macroglobulin, and the observed zinc content of α₂-macroglobulin was in very good agreement with that found using more complex techniques. No zinc was found in association with transferrin and the recovery of globulin-bound zinc was quantitative, 104%.