Aspartate aminotransferase macroenzyme complex in serum identified and characterized.

Macromolecular aspartate aminotransferase was found in the serum of an apparently healthy patient. This complex was composed of aspartate aminotransferase (AST; EC 2.6.1.1) and immunoglobulin. Electrophoresis of the patient's serum showed an abnormal band migrating between mitochondrial (m) and cytosolic (s) AST. The macromolecular complex was purified by gel filtration on Sephacryl S300. The molecular mass of the complex was estimated to be 250 kDa, suggesting that the complex probably consists of one immunoglobulin molecule associated with one AST molecule. By immunoelectrophoresis, the immunoglobulin was found to be an IgG with kappa-lambda type light chain. When we used polyclonal antibodies against human mAST or sAST, the sAST antibodies strongly inhibited the AST activity of the macrocomplex, whereas the mAST antibodies had no effect. Thus the AST molecule of the macrocomplex is an sAST type.