English
General description
Fetuin is an abundant glycosylated protein from fetal bovine serum and functions as a transport and storage protein.[1] It is also called the α2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG) and corresponds to a molecular weight of 64 kDa.[2] It belongs to the statin family and is synthesized principally in the liver and partially in the kidneys, placenta and the tongue.[3]
Application
Fetuin from fetal bovine serum has been used:
as a standard glycoprotein in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection analysis (HPLC-FLD)[4]
as a ligand in carbohydrate binding assay of pertussis toxin vaccine[5]
in the synthesis of fetuin-A conjugated gold nanoparticles (F-GNPs) for drug carrier studies[6]
Biochem/physiol Actions
In humans, polymorphism in the fetuin gene is implicated in type 2 diabetes mellitus and modulates adipocyte functionality. Elevated level of fetuin is observed in obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD).[2] Fetuin is a potential marker in clinical diagnosis of metabolic disorders.[7]
Preparation Note
Further processing of F2379 by gel filtration.
