Phenol oxidation in soft cuticle and blood of crayfish compared with that in other arthropods and activation of the phenol oxidases by fungal and other cell walls

[Immunochemical study of the proteins of various tissues in Crustacea (Decapoda): nature, role, origin]

The main proteins of the haemolymph of Crustacea Decapoda have been identified and analysed: haemocyanin, plasma coagulogen, heteroagglutinins, vitellogenins, and molt-related proteins. All these complex components exhibit a high molecular weight and as oligomeric fractions are able to aggregate or dissociate in subunits according to the composition of medium and experimental procedures. Besides their important rôle in the defense mechanism, some proteins are involved in the edification of diverse tissues. They are detected within different compartments: soft integument, calcified carapace and hepatopancreas. They are either in transit or sequestered or synthetized within these tissues. In the crayfish Astacus leptodactylus, some components have been identified in different compartments: --in aqueous extracts from soft integument: the haemocyanin, coagulogen and both fraction F1 (lipoprotein with an approximate molecular weight of 45 kdal) and fraction F2 related to the molt. Both coagulogen and fraction F2 appear sometimes as melanized. These two latter fractions exhibit some glucose-mannose residues and they occur with a higher relative amount than in the blood. --in soluble extracts from calcified cuticle: among the numerous fractions showing a high molecular weight, the haemocyanin and coagulogen are detected. --in aqueous extracts from hepatopancreas: both haemocyanin and coagulogen appear with a little relative amount. Components termed as Fa and Fb are found with a high concentration. One minor fraction is also detected. --in aqueous extracts from eggs: the haemocyanin and fraction Fb are present. Other proteins showing only some antigenic identities with those of the haemolymph are also detected in all these tissues. The haemolymph proteins are not present within these compartments following a passive diffusion. Indeed, their relative amount varies according to the tissue investigated and is different from that found in the blood. Except the haemocyanin detected in all tissues with different aggregation states, the haemolymph proteins identified vary in the organs studied. A qualitative and quantitative selection occurs when the blood proteins enter the other compartments. Perhaps some other proteins are not detected following alterations underwent either in the epithelial barriers or during the tannage process or the chitino-proteic complex formation or due to experimental procedures. On the other hand, each tissue has its own proteins. The integument contains crustacyanins alpha, beta, gamma; the eggs are mainly constituted of lipovitellins and the hepatopancreas is rich in small molecular weight proteins and digestive enzymes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)