The occurrence of artemocyanin in Branchiopoda (Crustacea)

Artemocyanin, the extracellular hemolymph biliprotein of Artemia, is demonstrated in the fairy shrimp Streptocephalus, the clam shrimp Leptestheria and the water flea Daphnia. Artemocyanins can be purified from hemolymph as intact polypeptides (Mr 170-190,000), but are degraded upon homogenization of the whole animal by partial proteolysis to polypeptides with Mr 102,000 and 85,000. The aminoterminal sequence of the intact artemocyanin polypeptide was determined, but no clear-cut relationships with arthropod biliproteins or other protein families could be demonstrated.