title: Immunological analysis of hemoglobin transition during metamorphosis of normal and isogenicXenopus.
abstract: Antisera against larval and adultXenopus hemoglobins as well as adult human hemoglobin showed no cross-reaction when tested by immunodiffusion against each heterologous antigen. In this test hemoglobin of a single animal produced two precipitation lines for larvae, but only one for adult stages. Immunoelectrophoresis also revealed more complex precipitation patterns for larval than for adult hemoglobins. Hemoglobin of the isogenic hybrid cloneXenopus laevis/X. gilli also reacted with antisera against normalXenopus hemoglobin.Quantitation of hemoglobins, analyzed by radial immunodiffusion showed fewer than 1% of adult hemoglobin in red cells of larvae, but 30% at completion of metamorphosis. Two weeks later adult hemoglobin attained over 90%, and in red cells of adultXenopus an average of 1% larval hemoglobin were detected.The relatively short transition period suggests that the loss of larval hemoglobin may be due to the elimination of larval red cells, and that the increase in adult hemoglobin may be indicative of a new cell line.
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Just
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schwager
authors.affiliation: Zoological Institute, Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Bacteriological Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fey
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Bacteriological Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hedi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pfister
keywords: Hemoglobin transition; Immunoelectrophoresis; Metamorphosis; Quantitative Immunodiffusion; Xenopus