COMPARISON OF THE BINDING ABILITY OF HEMOCYANIN AND SERUM ALBUMIN FOR ORGANIC IONS

¹ Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, illinois, and Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts

1. Hemocyanin forms complexes with organic anions, such as methyl orange, though with an affinity of about one-tenth that observed with the same dye and serum albumin.

2. No binding was observed between hemocyanin and the cationic dye, chrysoidine. Under comparable conditions bovine serum albumin combined with chrysoidine, thought quantitative calculations indicate an energy of binding about 1,000 calories less than that observed for albumin-methyl orange complexes.

3. The data indicate that hemocyanin acts not only as a respiratory pigment in the blood of invertebrates but also may serve to a limited extent in the distribution and conservation of organic. ions among various organs and tissues.