title: Lipovitellins and phosvitins of the fertilized eggs during embryo growth in the oviparous lizard Podarcis sicula.
abstract: In the lizard Podarcis sicula, the major vitellogenin (VTG)-derived yolk proteins, lipovitellins and phosvitins, were extracted from the yolk globules of laid and fertilized eggs at different periods of incubation up to 44 days close to hatching. Embryonic development was almost over at this time. Yolk proteins were isolated by precipitation in saturated (NH(4))(2)SO(4), separated on SDS-PAGE and detected by Western blotting with homologous polyclonal anti/VTG antibody. Two lipovitellins of 110 and 116 kDa were always present in the yolk of laid eggs after 1, 10, 18, and 44 days from oviposition. Both these proteins were glycosylated and were recognized by the anti/VTG antibody; their N-terminal sequences were analyzed. Four phosvitins were detected in freshly laid eggs, but their number decreased during incubation, and after 44 days only a single protein of approximately 6.5 kDa was present. The results indicated that, in this lizard, during embryonic development, lipovitellins remain unchanged, whereas the phosphorylated components of yolk undergo continuous degradation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary and Comparative Biology, University Federico II, Via Mezzocannone, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosanova
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anteo
authors.forename: Ermelinda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Limatola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004527:Egg Proteins; D015387:Egg Proteins, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D008116:Lizards / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010774:Phosvitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015053:Zygote / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004527:Egg Proteins; D015387:Egg Proteins, Dietary; D010774:Phosvitin; C001549:lipovitellin