Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of blood for differentiation of species

The National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory is responsible for the determination of species of birds, reptiles, and mammals from the United States, as well as international species falling under the protection of CITES treaties. We have recently found electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to be an effective means of rapidly analyzing blood samples for species identification. Nearly 1000 individuals were analyzed which comprised 62 species represented by birds, mammals, and reptiles. Whole blood and dried blood samples were analyzed without purification to provide simultaneous molecular weights from the alpha- and beta-proteins present in each sample's hemoglobin. The combination of the two molecular weights for the hemoglobin proteins (i.e., alpha/beta-pairs) was used as species determining markers. In all, 133 distinctive alpha/beta-pairs were observed from the individuals analyzed. Despite the variability in the hemoglobins evaluated, 86% of these alpha/beta-pairs were found to be diagnostic for a particular species to the exclusion of all other species studied. No other single protein system studied by a single analytical technique can so effectively resolve species from a wide range of taxa as can the hemoglobin system when analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Primary structure of the hemoglobins from the greater Kudu antelope (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)

The adult greater Kudu antelope has two hemoglobin components, Hb A and Hb B, with one alpha and two beta chains. The complete amino-acid sequences of these three chains are presented. The two beta chains differ only in one residue at position 16 (Gly----Ser) and may be the product of two allelic genes. The primary structure of the chains was determined by sequencing the tryptic peptides after their isolation from the tryptic digest of the chains by high performance liquid chromatography. The alignment of these peptides was deduced from homology with the chains of bovine hemoglobin. Between the Kudu hemoglobins and those of cattle a high degree of homology was found.

Studies on yak hemoglobin (Bos grunniens, Bovidae): structural basis for high intrinsic oxygen affinity?

Two types of alpha- and two types of beta-chains are found in the hemoglobin of yak population. The complete amino-acid sequences of the four polypeptide chains were determined. The two alpha-chains differ by two and the two beta-chains by three amino-acid substitutions. The substitution of valine at position 135 in the beta II-chain may be responsible for the high intrinsic oxygen affinity of yak hemoglobin.