Centipedal hemocyanin: its structure and its implications for arthropod phylogeny

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Evolutionary Biology
• Zoology

Background:

• Hemocyanin is the oxygen carrier in the blood of many arthropods.
• Previous studies have characterized hemocyanin in crustaceans and chelicerates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the hemocyanin structure in Scutigera coleoptrata, a uniramous arthropod.
• To compare the hemocyanin structure of Scutigera coleoptrata with that of other arthropod groups.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of hemocyanin from Scutigera coleoptrata.
• Electron microscopy to visualize hemocyanin substructures and assembly.

Main Results:

• Hemocyanin from Scutigera coleoptrata is composed of substructures similar in size and appearance to those of other arthropod hemocyanins.
• These substructures are assembled into a unique quaternary structure and arranged in a unique configuration.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest a common evolutionary origin for hemocyanins across different arthropod groups (crustaceans, chelicerates, and uniramous arthropods).
• The unique assembly of hemocyanin in Scutigera coleoptrata represents a derived character, supporting a shared ancestry.