Swimbladder membrane protein of an abyssal fish, Coryphaenoides acrolepis

Protein components of the membranous foamy tissue collected from the swimbladder of Coryphaenoides acrolepis, a continental slope/deep sea grenadier fish, were partially fractionated and characterized by procedures used successfully for erythrocyte membrane proteins. Methods involving pH and ionic strength adjustment in the presence of EDTA and beta-mercaptoethanol resulted in some protein fractionation but no distinct separation or isolation of membrane proteins. Gel filtration by Sephadex G-100 and Sepharose 2B in the presence of dodecyl sulfate partially fractionated protein species between 18,000 and 150,000 molecular weight (as confirmed by dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Low molecular weight proteins were resolvable into a few diffuse and streaky bands by dodecyl sulfate and chloral hydrate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the former giving superior reso-ution. A major fraction of large molecular weight protein (greater than or equal to 40 X 10(6)) was not resolved by any method. A possible explanation for these unusual findings is that decompression due to rapid ascent of the fish from deep ocean caused irreversible alteration of swimbladder membrane proteins.