Comparison of bovine, sheep and goat milk lactoferrins in their electrophoretic behavior, conformation, immunochemical properties and lectin reactivity.

1. The biochemical properties of bovine, goat and sheep lactoferrin were compared. Molecular weights of the three lactoferrins were estimated to be 78,000 to 80,000 as determined by SDS-PAGE. By IEF, microheterogeneity was observed for all of them. 2. Partial antigenic identity was observed between bovine lactoferrin and goat or sheep lactoferrin by immunodiffusion method. 3. CD spectra at the u.v. region of the three lactoferrins suggested their similar secondary and tertiary structural profiles. 4. Reactivities with peroxidase-conjugated lectins showed that the carbohydrate compositions of the three ruminants' lactoferrin were the same but not identical with that of human lactoferrin.