| Popis: |
1. 1. Hemocyanin from the mediterranean lobster Palinurus elephas has been shown to change in subunit composition with relation with the sex of the animal and the period of the year. 2. 2. The sexual difference, consisting of the presence of a specific subunit in the hemocyanin from female animals, is not linked to any evident functional property of the pigment. 3. 3. On the contrary, the season dependent variations in the subunit composition, which consist of the appearance of several catodic bands on electropherograms from both male and female animals, produce obvious functional effects; in particular an increase of the cooperativity of oxygen binding has been consistently found during the summer. 4. 4. The concentration of the pigment is also season and sex dependent, being higher in male animals and during the winter. 5. 5. Hemocyanin from a closely related lobster, Palinurus mauritanicus, does not show sexual and seasonal differences in subunit composition. This difference is tentatively attributed to the difference in the habitat of the two species. |
