)[citation needed][needs context] The ovalbumin protein of chickens consists of 385 amino acids, its relative molecular mass is 42.7 kDa,[5] and it adopts a serpin-like structure.

[6] Ovalbumin also has several modifications, including N-terminal acetylation (G1), phosphorylation (S68, S344), and glycosylation (N292).

[5] It has three isoforms, A1, A2, and A3, which vary based on the number of bound phosphate residues.

[7] It is secreted from the cell, targeted by an internal signal sequence (residues 21–47), rather than the N-terminal signal sequence commonly found in other secreted proteins.

Ovalbumin's signal sequence is not cleaved off, but remains as part of the mature protein.