Summary
Periostracin is a soluble presclerotin of the periostracum ofMytilus edulis. Periostracin is unusually unstable in vitro. It was extracted with high yield from marginal periostracum with pure formic acid. It is a basic, water-insoluble protein with a molecular weight of 20,000 as determined by gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. The amino acid composition of periostracin is unique with 55% of the residues being glycine, 10% tyrosine and 2.2% Dopa. The presence of Dopa was further substantiated by reaction with ethylenediamine, by difference spectra at various pH and by UV and visible spectra of the oxidation products. The origin of Dopa in periostracin seems linked to a tyrosine hydroxylase active toward protein tyrosyl residues.
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Abbreviations
- Dopa:
-
3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine
- SDS:
-
sodium dodecyl sulfate
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Herbert Waite, J., Saleuddin, A.S.M. & Andersen, S.O. Periostracin — A soluble precursor of sclerotized periostracum inMytilus edulis L.. J Comp Physiol B 130, 301–307 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689847
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689847