The active site of Viviparus ater (mollusc) hemocyanin was investigated using the fact that the binding of dioxygen to the binuclear copper-containing sites of hemocyanins is connected with the appearance of specific dichroic bands which are very sensitive to changes in the structrure and polarity of the environment. Oxy-Viviparus ater hemocyanin exhibits near UV and visible circular dichroism ...

Penaeus monodon (class Crustacea, order Decapoda) is one of the largest shrimps of the Penaeidea family from the Indo-West Pacific region. The dioxygen-transporting protein hemocyanin, isolated from the hemolymph of this invertebrate, is composed of three 75-76 kDa structural/functional subunits designated as Pm1, Pm2 and Pm3. The N-terminal sequences of the chains were determined and compared ...

Hemocyanins are used as immunomodulators in clinical applications because they induce a strong Th1-biased cell-mediated immunity, which has beneficial effects. They multiligand glycosylated molecules with abundant and complex mannose-rich structures. It remains unclear whether these structures influence hemocyanin-induced immunostimulatory processes human APCs. We have previously shown that hem...

Oxygen-transport proteins are multisubunit, circulating molecules that provide an efficient supply of oxygen to metabolically active metazoans. Hemoglobins, hemerythrins and hemocyanins have evolved in both structural and functional diversity and exhibit functional repertoires beyond that of simple, monomeric tissue myoglobins. Their phylogenetic distribution is intriguing, especially with resp...

The effect of carbon monoxide on the luminescence properties of Helix pomatia alpha-hemocyanin and Panulirus interruptus hemocyanin has been studied. These proteins, when saturated with carbon monoxide, show, besides the intrinsic fluorescence arising from the aromatic amino acid residues, emission in the visible region with a maximum between 540 and 560 nm. Results of carbon monoxide titration...