title: The state of ferriprotoporphyrin IX in malaria pigment.
abstract: To evaluate the state of ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) in malaria pigment, mouse erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium berghei NYU-2 parasites were lysed by hypotonic shock, and hemoglobin and other soluble material were removed by extensive washing. The amount of FP recovered in the insoluble pellet was 2.1 mumol/ml of packed infected erythrocytes, of which approximately 1% was attributable to hemoglobin contamination. This crude preparation then was digested with a nonspecific protease from Streptomyces griseus and extracted with chloroform/methanol. The residue of insoluble dark brown material had the spectral and solubility properties characteristic of the FP of malaria pigment, and various different preparations contained from 82 to 99% of FP by weight. By elemental analysis, highly purified preparations contained no chlorine and had an oxygen content consistent with 1 mol of hydroxyl/mol of FP (oxygen content: calculated, 12.6%; found, 12.5%). In comparison to hematin purchased from Sigma, which had a measured oxygen content of 14.7%, the low oxygen form of hematin purified from malaria pigment was remarkably less soluble in ethanol, 3% sodium bicarbonate, and chloroform.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000378:metabolism; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006418:Heme / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006427:Hemin / Q000032:analysis; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood*; D051379:Mice; D009996:Osmotic Fragility; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects*; D012995:Solubility; D013305:Streptomyces griseus / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D006418:Heme; D006427:Hemin; D002738:Chloroquine; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases