title: Molecular mass of macromolecules and subunits and the quaternary structure of hemoglobin from the microcrustacean Daphnia magna.
abstract: The molecular masses of macromolecules and subunits of the extracellular hemoglobin from the fresh-water crustacean Daphnia magna were determined by analytical ultracentrifugation, multiangle laser light scattering and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The hemoglobins from hypoxia-incubated, hemoglobin-rich and normoxia-incubated, hemoglobin-poor Daphnia magna were analyzed separately. The sedimentation coefficient of the macromolecule was 17.4 +/- 0.1 S, and its molecular mass was 583 kDa (hemoglobin-rich animals) determined by AUC and 590.4 +/- 11.1 kDa (hemoglobin-rich animals) and 597.5 +/- 49 kDa (hemoglobin-poor animals), respectively, determined by multiangle laser light scattering. Measurements of the hemoglobin subunit mass of hemoglobin-rich animals by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry revealed a significant peak at 36.482 +/- 0.0015 kDa, i.e. 37.715 kDa including two heme groups. The hemoglobin subunits are modified by O-linked glycosylation in the pre-A segments of domains 1. No evidence for phosphorylation of hemoglobin subunits was found. The subunit migration behavior during SDS/PAGE was shown to be influenced by the buffer system used (Tris versus phosphate). The subunit mass heterogeneity found using Tris buffering can be explained by glycosylation of hemoglobin subunits. Based on molecular mass information, Daphnia magna hemoglobin is demonstrated to consist of 16 subunits. The quaternary structure of the Daphnia magna hemoglobin macromolecule was assessed by three-dimensional reconstructions via single-particle analysis based on negatively stained electron microscopic specimens. It turned out to be much more complex than hitherto proposed: it displays D4 symmetry with a diameter of approximately 12 nm and a height of about 8 nm.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Zoophysiologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany. Tobias.Lamkemeyer@uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lamkemeyer
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zeis
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jaenicke
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waschbüsch
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gebauer
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Markl
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.forename: Morgane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rousselot
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zal
authors.forename: Graeme J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: Rüdiger J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Paul
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003621:Daphnia / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006031:Glycosylation; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000737:chemistry; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D021122:Protein Subunits