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Short communication: Bovine -casein is a ferritin-binding protein and inhibitory factor of milk ferritin immunoassay

G. Sugawara^*, R. Inoue^*, K. Watanabe^*, H. Ohtsuka and K. Orino^*,1

^* Veterinary Biochemistry Laboratory, and
Large Animal Internal Medicine Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Aomori 034-8628, Japan

¹ Corresponding author: orino{at}vmas.kitasato-u.ac.jp

Commercial bovine milk -casein, but not β- and -caseins, bound to bovine spleen ferritin, as determined by an immunoassay for ferritin. In contrast, -casein did not bind to apoferritin. The binding of -casein to bovine spleen ferritin was strongly inhibited by increasing ionic strength by the addition of 0.5 M (NH₄)₂SO₄. The addition of -casein to a known amount of bovine spleen ferritin resulted in significantly lower recovery (78–80%) of added ferritin, although β- and -caseins showed little inhibitory effect in the ferritin immunoassay. These results indicate that bovine -casein is a specific ferritin-binding protein that may inhibit milk ferritin immunoassay.

Key Words: -casein • ferritin • immunoassay • milk