The primary structure of the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx, Primates) hemoglobin

The complete primary structure of the hemoglobin from the Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx, Primates) is presented. This hemoglobin comprises two components in approximately equal amounts (HB I and Hb II). The alpha-chains differ in positions 5 (A3) and 9 (A7) having Ala and Asn in the alpha I-chains and Asp and His in the alpha II-chains. The beta-chains are identical. The components could be separated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. The globin chains were obtained by carboxymethylcellulose chromatography or high-performance liquid chromatography. The sequences were established by automatic liquid or gas phase Edman degradation of the chains and their tryptic peptides. The alpha-chains show 9 and 11 and the beta-chains 8 exchanges compared with the corresponding human chains, respectively. In the beta-chains one alpha 1/beta 1- and one alpha 1/beta 2-contact is substituted. A comparison of the primary structures of the Mandrill hemoglobin chains with those of other species of the Cercopithecidae family shows that Mandrillus sphinx should be placed between Cercopithecus and Macaca on one side and Papio, Theropithecus and Cercocebus on the other.