In vitro biosynthesis of the human cell surface receptor for transferrin

Abstract
The human cell surface receptor for transferrin is a transmembrane phosphoglycoprotein composed of two disulphide linked and apparently identical subunits of M r 90 000. Using an affinity purified, polyclonal rabbit antibody, we have studied the in vitro biosynthesis of this receptor. The primary translation product, synthesised in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate programmed with human placental RNA, appears to have the same M r (78 000) as the unglycosylated molecule immunoprecipitated from tunicamycin‐treated cells. In the presence of a dog pancreatic microsomal system the cell free system accurately reproduces the glycosylation and the asymmetric transmembrane integration