Comparison of hemolymph lipoproteins from four species of crustacea

Abstract

AbstractTwo different lipoproteins, lipoprotein I and very high density lipoprotein (VHDL), were isolated from the male hemolymphs of freshwater prawn, mitten crab, and striped stone crab by a different density gradient ultracentrifugation. Lipoprotein II as well as lipoprotein I and VHDL was further found in the female hemolymphs of these crustacea. Lipoprotein II seemed to be a vitellogenin and spawned kuruma prawn without eggs lacked lipoprotein II in their hemolymph. The densities of lipoprotein I varied between 1.12 and 1.18 g/ml reflecting the difference of protein‐lipid ratio. In contrast lipoprotein II and VHDL had approximately constant densities of 1.19—1.21 g/ml and 1.26—1.27 g/ml, respectively. Lipoprotein I, lipoprotein II, and VHDL isolated from the crustacean hemolymph contained phospholipid as a predominant lipid component. Crustacean lipoprotein was divided into the freshwater type and the seawater type. Freshwater prawn and mitten crab classified into the freshwater type tended to have high protein concentrations in lipoprotein I and VHDL. In contrast both lipoprotein I and VHDL protein concentrations from kuruma prawn and striped stone crab, which were classified into the seawater type, were much lower than those from the freshwater type. Lipoprotein I from freshwater prawn and mitten crab had two major apolipoproteins with apparent molecular weights of 230,000 and 100,000, and 340,000 and 100,000, respectively, while lipoprotein I from kuruma prawn and striped stone crab consisted of three major apolipoproteins (molecular weights 180,000, 100,000, and 80,000). VHDL found for the first time in crustacea probably plays an important role in lipid transfer reaction between lipoproteins. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.