title: Dolphin ceruloplasmin: the first proteolytically stable mammalian ceruloplasmin.
abstract: 1. Ceruloplasmin, the blue protein of the plasma of vertebrates, was isolated from dolphin, a marine mammal. The protein showed overall physico-chemical parameters very similar to those of all other mammalian ceruloplasmins. The spectroscopic properties indicated a conservation of the copper binding sites. 2. Non-denaturing electrophoresis revealed a conformation similar to that of other mammalian ceruloplasmins. EPR spectroscopy and calorimetric analyses indicated a three-domain arrangement of the protein typical of "aged" ceruloplasmin. 3. Dolphin ceruloplasmin is the only mammalian ceruloplasmin insensitive to trypsin, plasmin or chymotrypsin. This property, however, does not result in a higher conformational stability of the molecule. Thus, susceptibility of ceruloplasmin to aging is not directly related to the lability to proteases, which is typical of all other mammalian ceruloplasmins so far studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi di Patti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galtieri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giartosio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Musci
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calabrese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D004289:Dolphins / Q000097:blood*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D010450:Endopeptidases; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D014357:Trypsin; D005341:Fibrinolysin