Plasma Protein Synthesis in the Human Fetus and Placenta1

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Abstract
Tissue slices of liver, heart and placenta from 3 human fetuses of 3-4 months gestation were incubated with glycine-2-C14. Similar experiments were done with placentas at term. After incubation the proteins were separated electrophoretically and the incorporated radioactivity was determined. The radioactive proteins were further identified immunologically. Fetal liver synthesizes proteins electrophoretically identical with plasma proteins except for those with gamma globulin mobility, and immunological studies confirmed their identity. Fetal heart and placenta synthesizes proteins with alpha and beta globulin mobility that are immunologically distinct from plasma proteins. Placenta at term synthesizes proteins with similar mobility but these are immunologically similar to plasma globulin.