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Studies on the haemoglobins of the small Pogonophora

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

R. C. Terwilliger
Affiliation:
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, OR 97410, U.S.A.
N. B. Terwilliger
Affiliation:
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, OR 97410, U.S.A.
G. M. Hughes†
Affiliation:
Research Unit for Comparative Animal Respiration, The University, Bristol BS8 1UG
A. J. Southward†
Affiliation:
The Laboratory, Marine Biological Association, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB
E. C. Southward†
Affiliation:
The Laboratory, Marine Biological Association, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB

Abstract

Haemoglobin is present, often at high concentration, dissolved in the blood of all small Pogonophora so far examined.

The haemoblobin of Siboglinum fiordicum resembles annelid and vestimentiferan haemoglobins in having subunits with molecular weights of 15000–16700 plus traces of 35000–40000 MW material. 5. fiordicum haemoglobin has 1 mol haem per 21500 g protein, and a similar lack of correspondence between subunits and mols of haem is shown by annelid and vestimentiferan haemoglobins. However, S. fiordicum haemoglobin differs considerably from annelid and vestimentiferan haemoglobins in other respects, even though the three groups are closely linked taxonomically. The haemoglobin of S. fiordicum has a lower apparent molecular weight (Mr = 3.5–4.0 x 105) than that of annelid haemoglobins (Mr = 3–4 x 108) when measured under the same conditions. Pogonophore blood examined with the electron microscope does not show the two-tiered hexagonal structure found in annelid and vestimentiferan haemoglobins. S. fiordicum haemoglobin also differs from annelid and vestimentiferan haemoglobins in amino acid composition.

The haemoglobins of the small pogonophores examined have a very high affinity for oxygen. The P 50 ranges from 0.36 Torr in diluted blood of S. fiordicum (15 °C) to 0.5–1.0 Torr in undiluted blood of S. atlanticum (10 °C) and s. fiordicum (15 °C). Only a slight Bohr effect was found. The high oxygen affinity can be related to the wide range of P o2 values experienced in the habitat and the need to transport oxygen to the deeply buried posterior end of the body that contains autotrophic endosymbiotic bacteria.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1987

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