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The Biological Bulletin, Vol 179, Issue 3 326-331, Copyright © 1990 by Marine Biological Laboratory

GENERAL BIOLOGY

The Chromophore and Polypeptide Composition of Aplysia Ink

R. MacColl, J. Galivan, D. S. Berns, Z. Nimec, D. Guard-Friar and D. Wagoner
Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research, New York State Department of Health, P. O. Box 509, Albany, New York 12201-0509

The composition of the ink of the sea hare, Aplysia, was studied in regard to its tetrapyrrole and polypeptide content. The ink was separated into three pigment components by both thin-layer and gel filtration chromatography. These three pigments have distinctive visible absorption spectra, and--by comparison with known tetrapyrroles--we have demonstrated that they are derived from the three tetrapyrrole chromophores (bilins) found on the biliproteins of certain red algae, which constitute a portion of the Aplysia diet. The red component is phycourobilin; the purple is phycoerythrobilin; and the blue is phycocyanobilin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis experiments were also performed. The results of these experiments showed several polypeptides, and major bands at 78,000 and 61,000 molecular weight were noted. Biliproteins, at most, would be minor components of the ink.


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