Chemical Nature and Mode of Stabilization of Egg-shell in Helicometra pulchella (Rudolphi, 1819) (Digenea: Opecoelidae) |
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Authors: | A. M. N. Kalantan M. Arfin Mohamed S. Alyousif |
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Abstract: | The chemical nature and mode of stabilization of egg-shell protein in digenetic trematode Helicometra pulchella (Rudolphi, 1819) have been investigated using histochemical techniques. It was found that the egg-shell is stabilized by quinone-tanning together with dityrosine. Other structural proteins (elastin, collagen and keratin-like proteins), glycogen and acid mucopolysaccharides were absent in egg-shell. Tyrosine was present in vitelline cells and immature egg-shell indicating that the proteins involved in quinone-tanning were tyrosine rich and tyrosyl residues are modified to form dityrosine in mature egg-shell. |
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