The microheterogeneities of thyroxine-binding globulin and α₁ protease inhibitor (α₁-antitrypsin) are interrelated

Addition of ¹²⁵I-thyroxine to serum allows autoradiography for thyroxine-binding globulin microheterogeneity to be carried out after isoelectric focusing has been performed to display (by protein stain) the heterogeneous bands of the α₁-antitrypsin (PI) system. Comparison of the protein stain for PI with the autoradiograph for thyroxine-binding globulin indicates that these two systems are interrelated with the major bands of the PI system corresponding to the bands on the autoradiograph. This correspondence holds for PI variants other than the common M type and in particular it holds for the deficient Z type in which the autoradiograph for thyroxine-binding globulin is strikingly different from normal. We conclude that the major cause of microheterogeneity of TBG is due to an association with the PI system under the conditions of isoelectric focusing as normally performed. Precipitation experiments with antisera to PI and TBG suggest that the complex between these biologically important globulins may occur under conditions other than isoelectric focusing, but further work will be needed to examine this possibility.