Physicochemical study in water of a mucoprotein with virus-inhibiting activity

Human urinary mucoprotein precipitated with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and suspended in distilled water has a light-scattering molecular weight of 2.8 x 106, an intrinsic viscosity of 225, a refractive index increment of 1.73 x 10 4, and an absorption coefficient (E5" ,,) of 11.4. The molecule is therefore smaller than that of the mucoprotein isolated by Tamm and Horsfall but retains its biological activity.