Summary
Hemocyanins from four organisms inhabiting the Amazon River were isolated and partially characterized. Three arthropodan species (Dilocarcinus pagei cristatus, Silviocarcinus pardalinus and Macrobrachium amazonicum) posses hemocyanins whose subunit structure is remarkably simple. Regular and SDS polycrylamide disc electrophoresis revealed predominantly single bands and no polymorphisms. Oxygen-binding experiments showed that the three arthopodan hemocyanins possess large positive Bohr effects and pH dependence in the degree of subunit interaction. The hemocyanin of one mollusc, Pila sp., was studied and its subunit size appears to be similar to that of other molluscan hemocyanins, i.e., a 400,000 dalton polypeptide. In the hemolymph, Pila hemocyanin probably exists as a mixture of 100S and 124S aggregates. The oxygen binding properties of the large molecules of Pila hemocyanin are notable because of their low cooperativity and lack of a strong pH dependence.