title: A study of chlorophyll-like and phycobilin pigments in the C endosymbiont of the apple-snail pomacea canaliculata.
abstract: Pigments present in the brown-greenish C morph of an intracellular endosymbiont of Pomacea canaliculata were investigated. Acetone extracts of the endosymbiotic corpuscles showed an absorption spectrum similar to that of chlorophylls. Three fractions obtained from silica gel column chromatography of the acetone extracts (C(I), C(II), and C(III)), were studied by positive ion fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) and hydrogen-nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR). Results indicated the presence of (1) a sterol in the yellow colored C(I) fraction; (2) a mixture ofpheophorbides a and b in the major green fraction, C(II); and (3) a modified pheophorbide a in the smaller green fraction, C(III). Aqueous extracts of the C endosymbiont did not show evidence of the occurrence of C-phycocyanin, allophycocyanin or phycoerithrin (light absorption, fluorescence emission, and electrophoresis of the protein moieties) while cyanobacterial cells (Nostoc sp.) showed evidence of C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin. The possible phylogenetic and functional significance of the pigments present in the C endosymbiont is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisiología (IHEM-CONICET), and Departamento de Morfología y Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Casilla de Correo 33, 5500 Mendoza, Argentina. israel.vega7@gmail.com
authors.forename: Israel A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Federico A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Dellagnola
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: Martín S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro-Vazquez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D027845:Malus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D052980:Phycobilins / Q000032:analysis*; D010798:Phycocyanin / Q000378:metabolism; D012908:Snails / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D052980:Phycobilins; C002497:allophycocyanin; D010798:Phycocyanin; D002734:Chlorophyll