OBSERVATIONS ON DOUBLE ALBUMIN: A GENETICALLY TRANSMITTED SERUM PROTEIN ANOMALY *†

Abstract

Double albumin was demonstrated on electrophoresis in 25 of 43 members of a family. The anomaly was observed in a heterozygous state, was transmitted as a codominant characteristic with complete penetrance, was apparently the result of a mutation of a gene responsible for the synthesis of normal serum albumin, but was not associated with disease. The anomalous fraction replaced 1/2 of the normal serum albumin and by immunochemical evidence was shown to be an albumin. Electro-phoretic studies at several pHs suggested that the anomalous albumin contained tyrosine, lysine or cysteine residues substituted for carboxyl residues in normal albumin.