Mannose 6-phosphate Receptor (MPR 300) Proteins from Goat and Chicken Bind Human IGF-II

Mannose 6-phosphate receptor proteins (MPR 300 and 46) in mammals have been shown to mediate transport of lysosomal enzymes to lysosomes intracellularly. Both receptors are also expressed on the plasma membrane. Only MPR 300 protein on the plasma membrane has been shown to be a multifunctional protein which in addition to binding mannose 6-phosphate containing proteins also binds human insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) causing its internalization [Hille-Rehfeld, A. (1995) Mannose 6-phosphate receptors in sorting and transport of lysosomal enzymes. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1241: 177–194]. This property has been shown to be exhibited by other mammalian receptors but not by the chicken and frog receptors. In a recent study however it was shown that the fish embryo MPR 300 binds human IGF-II. [Mendez, E., Planas, J.V., Castillo, J., Navarro, I. and Gutierrez, J. (2001) Identification of a type II insulin-like growth factor receptor in fish embryos. Endocrinology, 142: 1090–1097]. In the present study, we demonstrate that the purified goat and chicken liver receptors bind human IGF-II by employing cross-linking experiments (purified receptors and radiolabeled IGF-II) and by ligand blotting (using purified receptors and biotinylated IGF-II). Further CEF cells (chicken embryonic fibroblasts) that are known to contain the putative MPR 300 protein were employed to demonstrate that the CEF cell receptor binds human IGF-II.     

Drug-induced phospholipidosis is caused by blockade of mannose 6-phosphate receptor-mediated targeting of lysosomal enzymes

Cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) cause massive intracellular accumulation of phospholipids, thereby resulting in phospholipidosis (PLD); however, the molecular mechanism underlying CAD-induced PLD remains to be resolved. Here, we found that treatment of normal rat kidney cells with CADs known to induce PLD caused redistribution of a mannose 6-phosphate/IGF-II receptor (MPR300) from the TGN to endosomes and concomitantly increased the secretion of lysosomal enzymes, resulting in a decline of intracellular lysosomal enzyme levels. These results enable the interpretation of why CADs cause excessive accumulation of undegraded substrates, including phospholipids in lysosomes, and led to the conclusion that the impaired MPR300-mediated sorting system of lysosomal enzymes reflects the general mechanism of CAD-induced PLD. In addition, our findings suggest that the measurement of lysosomal enzyme activity secreted into culture medium is useful as a rapid and convenient in vitro early screening system to predict drugs that can induce PLD.     

Recognition of Dictyostelium discoideum lysosomal enzymes is conferred by the amino-terminal carbohydrate binding site of the insulin-like growth factor II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor

The insulin-like growth factor-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor (IGF-II/MPR) is a type I glycoprotein that mediates both the intracellular sorting of lysosomal enzymes bearing mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P) residues to the lysosome and the bioavailability of IGF-II. The extracytoplasmic region of the IGF-II/MPR contains 15 repeating domains; the two carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs) have been localized to domains 1-3 and 7-9, and the high-affinity IGF-II binding site maps to domain 11. To characterize the carbohydrate binding properties of the IGF-II/MPR, regions of the receptor encompassing the individual CRDs were produced in a baculovirus expression system. Characterization of the recombinant proteins revealed that the pH optimum for carbohydrate binding is significantly more acidic for the carboxyl-terminal CRD than for the amino-terminal CRD (i.e., pH 6.4-6.5 vs 6.9). Equilibrium binding studies demonstrated that the two CRDs exhibit a similar affinity for Man-6-P. Furthermore, substitution of the conserved arginine residue in domain 3 (R435) or in domain 9 (R1334) with alanine resulted in a similar >1000-fold decrease in the affinity for the lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucuronidase. In contrast, the two CRDs differ dramatically in their ability to recognize the distinctive modifications (i.e., mannose 6-sulfate and Man-6-P methyl ester) found on Dictyostelium discoideum lysosomal enzymes: the amino-terminal CRD binds mannose 6-sulfate and Man-6-P methyl ester with a 14-55-fold higher affinity than the carboxyl-terminal CRD. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the IGF-II/MPR contains two functionally distinct CRDs.     

Kinetics of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) interaction with domain 11 of the human IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor: function of CD and AB loop solvent-exposed residues

Ligands of the IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor (IGF2R) include IGF-II and mannose 6-phosphate modified proteins. Disruption of the negative regulatory effects of IGF2R on IGF-II-induced growth can lead to embryonic lethality and cancer promotion. Of the 15 IGF2R extracellular domains, domains 1-3 and 11 are known to have a conserved beta-barrel structure similar to that of avidin and the cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor, yet only domain 11 binds IGF-II with high specificity and affinity. In order to define the functional basis of this critical biological interaction, we performed alanine mutagenesis of structurally determined solvent-exposed loop residues of the IGF-II-binding site of human domain 11, expressed these mutant forms in Pichia pastoris, and determined binding kinetics with human IGF-II using isothermal calorimetry and surface plasmon resonance with transition state thermodynamics. Two hydrophobic residues in the CD loop (F1567 and I1572) were essential for binding, with a further non-hydrophobic residue (T1570) that slows the dissociation rate. Aside from alanine mutations of AB loop residues that decrease affinity by modifying dissociation rates (e.g. Y1542), a novel mutation (E1544A) of the AB loop enhanced affinity by threefold compared to wild-type. Conversion from an acidic to a basic residue at this site (E1544K) results in a sixfold enhancement of affinity via modification principally of the association rate, with enhanced salt-dependence, decreased entropic barrier and retained specificity. These data suggest that a functional hydrophobic binding site core is formed by I1572 and F1567 located in the CD loop, which initially anchors IGF-II. Within the AB loop, residues normally act to either stabilise or function as negative regulators of the interaction. These findings have implications for the molecular architecture and evolution of the domain 11 IGF-II-binding site, and the potential interactions with other domains of IGF2R.     

Insulin-like growth factor-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor is incapable of activating GTP-binding proteins in response to mannose 6-phosphate, but capable in response to insulin-like growth factor-II

We previously reported that insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) stimulates both calcium influx and DNA synthesis by acting on the cell surface IGF-II receptor (IGF-IIR) in a manner sensitive to pertussis toxin, and recently demonstrated that IGF-II binding to the IGF-IIR gives rise to functional changes of purified Gi-2, a GTP-binding protein (G protein) in phospholipid vesicles as well as in broken cell membranes. On the other hand, a variety of evidence indicates that the IGF-IIR binds mannose 6-phosphate (man6P) with high affinity probably at a receptor extracellular region different from the IGF-II-binding site. In the present study, we examined whether man6P stimulation of the IGF-IIR evokes the activation of Gi-2 in phospholipid vesicles and in native cell membranes. In vesicles reconstituted with purified rat IGF-IIR and bovine Gi-2, man6P did not stimulate GDP dissociation from Gi-2 even in concentrations up to 10 mM, while IGF-II dose-dependently facilitated GDP release from Gi-2 with an EC50 of 6 nM. The stimulatory effect of IGF-II was not observed in vesicles reconstituted with Gi-2 alone. In addition, also in a native environment of cell membranes, man6P did not affect an endogenous 40-kDa protein or exogenously added purified Gi-2 as assessed with reduction of the pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation. These results indicate that the IGF-IIR does not activate Gi-like proteins upon man6P binding in phospholipid vesicles and in native cellular membranes, whereas the receptor activates Gi-like proteins upon IGF-II binding in both environments. Thus, we postulate that the IGF-IIR dissimilarly responds to the two structurally unrelated ligands, IGF-II and man6P, in the linkage function with G proteins.     

Identification of the Putative Mannose 6-phosphate Receptor Protein (MPR 300) in the Invertebrate unio

In mammals, Mannose 6-phosphate receptor proteins (MPR 300 and MPR 46) mediate transport of lysosomal enzymes to lysosomes. Both receptors have been found in non-mammalian vertebrates including fish. To investigate the presence of MPRs in invertebrates, MPR 300 protein was isolated from the mollusc unio by affinity chromatography. It was shown to exhibit biochemical and immunological properties similar to mammalian MPR 300.     

The chicken liver cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor lacks the high affinity binding site for insulin-like growth factor II

The chicken liver cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor has been purified to apparent homogeneity by affinity chromatography on pentamannose phosphate-Sepharose and tested for its ability to bind iodinated human IGF-I, human IGF-II, and chicken IGF-II. In contrast to the bovine, rat, and human cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptors, which bind human IGF-II and IGF-I with nanomolar and micromolar affinities, respectively, the chicken receptor failed to bind either radioligand at receptor concentrations as high as 1 microM. The bovine receptor binds chicken IGF-II with high affinity while the chicken receptor binds this ligand with only low affinity, which we estimate to be in the micromolar range. These data demonstrate that the chicken cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor lacks the high affinity binding site for IGF-II. These results provide an explanation for the failure of previous investigators to identify the type II IGF receptor by IGF-II cross-linking to chicken cells and indicate that the mitogenic activity of IGF-II in chick embryo fibroblasts is most likely mediated via the type I IGF receptor.     

Developmental expression of the IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor

The first indication that the insulin-like growth factor-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor (IGF-II/M6PR) is developmentally regulated came from studies of the serum form of the receptor in the rat. By immunoblotting, the circulating form of the receptor, which was 10 kDa smaller than the tissue receptor, was high in 19 day fetal and 3, 10, and 20 day postnatal sera and then declined sharply. We next used quantitative immunoblotting to measure the total tissue IGF-II/M6PR in the rat. The receptor levels were high in fetal tissues and in most tissues declined dramatically in late gestation and/or in the early postnatal period. The rank order of receptor expression was heart > placenta > lung = intestine > muscle = kidney > liver > brain. In heart, the receptor was 1.7% of total protein in the extract. More recently, we have examined the expression of IGF-II/M6PR mRNA using Northern blotting and a solution hybridization/RNase protection assay. The rank order of receptor mRNA concentration among fetal tissues agreed with the rank order of receptor protein. The concentration of receptor mRNA was significantly lower in postnatal tissue than in fetal tissue. Thus IGF-II/M6PR mRNA concentration is an important determinant of receptor protein in most tissues. What is the function of the IGF-II/M6PR in embryonic and fetal tissues? The M6PR in birds and frogs does not bind IGF-II. It is intriguing that the rat IGF-II/M6PR is prominent during the embryonic and fetal periods, times at which the differences between mammals, on the one hand, and frogs and birds, on the other, are most striking. Tissue remodeling is an important feature of embryonic and fetal development. Therefore, the well-established lysosomal enzyme targeting function of the receptor may be of particular importance. Since IGF-II can inhibit the cellular uptake of lysosomal enzymes via the IGF-II/M6PR, IGF-II may modulate this lysosomal enzyme targeting function. In addition, the receptor can provide a degradative pathway for IGF-II by receptor-mediated internalization. Thus the receptor could provide a check on the high levels of IGF-II known to be present in the fetus. Finally, the IGF-II/M6PR could directly signal certain biologic responses to IGF-II. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

P-type lectins

The two members of the P-type lectin family, the cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CD-MPR) and the insulin-like growth factor II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor (IGF-II/MPR), are distinguished from all other lectins by their ability to recognize phosphorylated mannose residues. The P-type lectins play an essential role in the generation of functional lysosomes within the cells of higher eukaryotes by directing newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes bearing the mannose 6-phosphate (M6P) signal to lysosomes. At the cell surface, the IGF-II/MPR also binds to the nonglycosylated polypeptide hormone, IGF-II, targeting this potent mitogenic factor for degradation in lysosomes. Moreover, in recent years, the multifunctional nature of the IGF-II/MPR has become increasingly apparent, as the list of extracellular ligands recognized by this receptor has grown to include a diverse spectrum of M6P-containing proteins as well as nonglycosylated ligands, implicating a role for the IGF-II/MPR in a number of important physiological pathways. Recent investigations have provided valuable insights into the molecular basis of ligand recognition by the MPRs as well as the complex intracellular trafficking pathways traversed by these receptors. This review provides a current view on the structures, functions, and medical relevance of the P-type lectins.     

The IGF-II receptor system: A G protein-linked mechanism

Based on the finding that stimulation of the IGF-II, receptor (IGF-IIR) is capable of activating G_i2 and calcium channels in BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts, it was found that purified IGF-IIR can couple directly to purified G_i2 in phospholipid vesicles. IGF-IIR–G_i2 coupling can be characterized as follows. IGF-IIR directly couples to G_i2 in response to IGF-II in a stoichiometrical manner, suggesting that IGF-IIR works as a transmembrane signaling molecule and that the seven-transmembrane structure is not essential for receptor-G protein coupling. The mode of IGF-IIR–G_i2 interaction is similar to that of conventional receptor–G protein coupling, suggesting that a common G protein recognition mechanism is shared by IGF-IIR and conventional G-coupled receptors. The action of IGF-IIR is specific on G_i2 among various G proteins. Finally, the activity of IGF-IIR on G_i2 is similarly potent across the species of the proteins. These characteristics led to the discovery of a 14-amino-acid region in IGF-IIR that can directly interact with and activate G_i2, and is located at residues 2410–2423 of the human receptor. Subsequent work has indicated that this region is responsible for G_i-coupling function of intact IGF-IIR. The most important extensions of this discovery are the following: (1) The structure–function relationship for the G_i-activating function of this 14-amino-acid sequence, (2) the prediction of G protein-coupled functions of receptors based on the results obtained from 1), and (3) clarification of the detailed mechanism whereby ligand–receptor complex recognizes G proteins. This paper reviews what we have learned from IGF-IIR in terms of receptor–G protein interfaces and discusses future prospects. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Loss of insulin-like growth factor II receptor expression promotes growth in cancer by increasing intracellular signaling from both IGF-I and insulin receptors

The insulin-like growth factor-II receptor (IGF-IIR) is frequently mutated or deleted in some malignant human tumors, suggesting that the IGF-IIR is a tumor suppressor. However, the exact mechanism by which IGF-IIR suppresses growth in tumors has not been definitively established. We demonstrate that IGF-IIR-deficient murine L cells (D9) have higher growth rates than IGF-IIR-positive L cells (Cc2) in response to IGF-II. IGF-II levels are higher in growth-conditioned medium from D9 versus Cc2 cells. Receptor neutralization studies and measurements of insulin receptor substrate 1 phosphorylation confirm that the enhanced growth of D9 cells is due to increased stimulation of the IGF-I and insulin receptors by IGF-II. In contrast, the levels of secreted latent and active transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) are similar for both D9 and Cc2 cells, indicating that the slower growth of Cc2 cells is not due to activation of latent TGF-beta by IGF-IIR and growth inhibition. The results directly demonstrate that down regulation of the IGF-IIR promotes the growth of transformed D9 cells by sustaining IGF-II, which binds to and activates IGF-IR and insulin receptor to increase intracellular growth signals.     

Cardiomyoblast apoptosis induced by insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I resistance is IGF-II dependent and synergistically enhanced by angiotensin II

Objective: This study explores the synergistic effect of cardiomyoblast apoptosis induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) and Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I resistance, and elucidates the role of IGF-II via IGF-II receptor (R) and calcineurin pathways in apoptosis induced by Ang II and IGF-I resistance. Methods: Apoptosis of cultured cardiomyoblast H9c2 cells was assessed by DNA fragmentation on agarose gel electrophoresis, nuclear condensation stained with DAPI, and Western blot analysis of pro-apoptotic Bad and cytochrome c in various combinations of control, Ang II, antisense IGF (I or II), IGF (I or II) antibody, IGF (I or II) receptor (R) antibody, or calcineurin inhibitor (Cyclosporine A, (CsA)). Results: We found the following: (1) The combination of Ang II and IGF-I deficiencies had a synergistic effect on apoptosis, confirmed by DNA fragmentation, nuclei condensation, and increases in such pro-apoptotic proteins as Bad, cytochrome c, caspase 9, and caspase 3 in H9c2 cells. (2) IGF-II and IGF-IIR protein products were increased by antisense IGF-I and IGF-I resistance, but these IGF-II protein products were not affected by sense IGF-I and non-specific antibody IgG in H9c2 cells. (3) The alteration of Bad protein level and the release of cytochrome c, both induced by treatments containing combinations of Ang II and antisense IGF-I, IGF-I antibody or IGF-IR antibody, were inhibited by IGF-II antibody. (4) DNA fragmentation, Bad, and cytochrome c which was induced by treatments combining IGF-IR antibody with Ang II or combining IGF-IR antibody with IGF-II were remarkably attenuated by CsA. Conclusion: IGF-I deficiency and/or IGF-IR resistance induced apoptosis in cardiomyoblast cells. The apoptosis, which might have been caused by the upregulation of IGF-II and IGF-IIR genes possibly activated the downstream calcineurin pathway, was synergistically augmented by Ang II. The last two authors contributed equally.     

Mannose 6-Phosphate Receptor Proteins from Reptiles and Amphibians: Evidence for the Presence of MPR 300 and MPR 46

Two mannose 6-phosphate receptors (MPR 300 and MPR 46) are involved in transport of lysosomal enzymes. Both receptors are expressed in all mammalian species studied so far and in chicken. Here we present the first report on affinity purification of both MPRs from the liver tissues of reptiles and amphibians using Sepharose divinyl sulfone phosphomannan at pH 7.0. MPR 300 from both species show similar electrophoretic mobility as mammalian MPR 300 and cross-react with an antibody directed against MPR 300 from goat liver. Furthermore, MPR 46 from reptilian liver and amphibian oocytes cross-react with peptide-specific antibodies against the cytoplasmic domain of human MPR 46 (anti-MSC1).     

3-Methyladenine specifically inhibits retrograde transport of cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor from the early endosome to the TGN

3-Methyladenine (3-MA), a well-known inhibitor of autophagic sequestration, can also prevent class III phosphatidylinositide (PI) 3-kinase activity, which is required for many processes in endosomal membrane trafficking. Although much is known about the effects of other PI 3-kinase inhibitors, such as wortmannin and LY294002, on endosomal membrane trafficking, little is known about those of 3-MA. Here we show that the treatment of cells with 3-MA results in a specific redistribution of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor (MPR300) from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to early/recycling endosomal compartments containing internalized transferrin. Importantly, in contrast to wortmannin and LY294002, 3-MA did not cause the enlargement of late endosomal/lysosomal compartments. The results suggest that the effect of 3-MA is restricted to the retrieval of MPR300 from early/recycling endosomes.     

Binding of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) by human cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor/IGF-II receptor expressed in receptor-deficient mouse L cells.

Mouse L cells deficient in expression of the murine cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor/insulin-like growth factor II receptor (CI-MPR/IGF-IIR) were stably transfected with a plasmid containing the cDNA for the human receptor. Transfected cells expressed high levels of the human receptor which functioned in the transport of lysosomal enzymes and was capable of binding 125I-IGF-II, both at the cell surface and intracellularly. Cell surface binding of 125I-IGF-II by the receptor could be inhibited by pretreatment of cells with antibodies to the receptor or by coincubation with the lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucuronidase. Expression of the receptor conferred on transfected cells the ability to internalize and degrade 125I-IGF-II. Cells transfected with the parental vector and those expressing the human CI-MRP/IGF-IIR were found to express an atypical binding site for IGF-II that was distinct from the CI-MPR/IGF-IIR and the type I IGF-receptor. The availability of two cell lines, one of which overexpresses the human CI-MPR/IGF-IIR and one deficient in expression of the murine receptor, may help in the analysis of the role of the receptor in mediating the biological effects of IGF-II. They should also be useful in examining the significance of binding of ligands, such as transforming growth factor-beta 1 precursor and proliferin to this receptor.     

Real time kinetics of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) interaction with the IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor: the effects of domain 13 and pH

The interaction of soluble forms of the human cation-independent insulin-like growth factor-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor (IGF-IIR) with IGFs and mannosylated ligands was analyzed in real time. IGF-IIR proteins containing domains 1-15, 10-13, 11-13, or 11-12 were combined with rat CD4 domains 3 and 4. Following transient expression in 293T cells, secreted protein was immobilized onto biosensor chips. beta-Glucuronidase and latent transforming growth factor-beta1 bound only to domains 1-15. IGF-II bound to all constructs except a control, which contained a point mutation in domain 11. The affinity of domains 1-15, 10-13, 11-13, and 11-12 to IGF-II were 14, 120, 100, and 450 nm, respectively. Our data suggest that domain 13 acts as an enhancer of IGF-II affinity by slowing the rate of dissociation, but additional enhancement by domains other than 10-13 also occurs. As the receptor functions to transport ligands from either the trans-Golgi network or extracellular space to the endosomes, the interaction of IGF-IIR extracellular domains with IGF-II was analyzed over a pH range of 5.0-7.4. The constructs behaved differently in response to pH and in recovery after low pH exposure, suggesting that pH stability of the extracellular domains depends on domains other than 10-13.     

Identification of residues essential for carbohydrate recognition by the insulin-like growth factor II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor.

Two distinct mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P) receptors (MPRs), the cation-dependent MPR (CD-MPR) and the insulin-like growth factor II/MPR (IGF-II/MPR), recognize a diverse population of Man-6-P-containing ligands. The IGF-II/MPR is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein with a large extracytoplasmic region composed of 15 repeating domains that display sequence identity to each other and to the single extracytoplasmic domain of the CD-MPR. A structure-based sequence alignment of the two distinct Man-6-P-binding sites of the IGF-II/MPR with the CD-MPR implicates several residues of IGF-II/MPR domains 3 and 9 as essential for Man-6-P binding. To test this hypothesis single amino acid substitutions were made in constructs encoding either the N- or the C-terminal Man-6-P-binding sites of the bovine IGF-II/MPR. The mutant IGF-II/MPRs secreted from COS-1 cells were analyzed by pentamannosyl phosphate-agarose affinity chromatography, identifying four residues (Gln-392, Ser-431, Glu-460, and Tyr-465) in domain 3 and four residues (Gln-1292, His-1329, Glu-1354, and Tyr-1360) in domain 9 as essential for Man-6-P recognition. Binding affinity studies using the lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucuronidase, confirmed these results. Together these analyses provide strong evidence that the two Man-6-P-binding sites of the IGF-II/MPR are structurally similar to each other and to the CD-MPR and utilize a similar carbohydrate recognition mechanism.     

Partial purification of an IGF-II receptor/binding protein from the erythroleukemia cell line K562

We previously reported that insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-11) stimulated clonal growth of an erythroleukemia cell line, K562, in semi-solid agar, an effect not mimicked by insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1), as IGF-I receptors are generally not expressed in this cell line. Affinity crosslinking of intact K562 cells with ¹²⁵I-IGF-II revealed that the labeled hormone predominantly bound to a protein with a molecular weight of approximately 75 K. We report here the partial purification of the 75 K IGF-II binding protein from K562 cells. Triton X-100-solubilized K562 cells were subjected to Sephacryl-400, followed by Sephacryl-200 chromatography. Fractions of interest were collected and applied to a Sepharose-IGF-II column or an immunoaffinity column. The immuno-affinity column was prepared using an antiserum against placental membrane-derived material eluted from the Sephacryl-400 column in the elution volume, corresponding to the IGF-II binding protein from K562 cells. An affi-gel 10 affinity column, prepared with a protein A purified IgG fraction of this antiserum (antibody-29), retarded proteins showing binding specificity for IGF-II, with apparent molecular weights of 76 K, 87 K, and 70 K under reducing conditions. These protein bands were similar to the proteins retarded in the IGF-II affinity column, when evaluated by affinity crosslinking and SDS-PAGE. Fractionation of the purified material from the antibody-29 affinity column on Superose 12 revealed 6 protein peaks. Affinity crosslinking of the peak fractions from FPLC resulted in single bands with a molecular weight of 75 K under reducing conditions with variable specificity for IGF-II.