Distribution of tunichrome and vanadium in sea squirt blood cells sorted by flow cytometry.
Specialized blood cells of many tunicates accumulate high concentrations of vanadium and phenolic peptide pigments called tunichromes (TC). In order to determine whether V and TC reside in the same cells, Ascidia nigra and Ascidia ceratodes blood cell subpopulations were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (flow cytometry) and chemically analyzed. V was found in the spherical, green/grey signet ring cells, and to a lesser degree in the mulberry-shaped, yellow/green morula cells (MRs), whereas free TC was detected mainly in MRs.
Oltz
E M
EM
Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027.
Pollack
S
S
Delohery
T
T
Smith
M J
MJ
Ojika
M
M
Lee
S
S
Kustin
K
K
Nakanishi
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000032:analysis; D002469:Cell Separation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis*; D014561:Urochordata / Q000032:analysis*; D014639:Vanadium / Q000032:analysis*
D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D014639:Vanadium; C021765:tunichrome