Abstract
1. An isoelectric precipitation procedure for the purification of hemocyanin from the blood of Ommatostrephes sloani pacificus was described.
2. Purified hemocyanin obtained by the procedure was electrophoretically and ultracentrifugically homogenous at pH's between 7.0 and 8.5 in 0.1M phosphate buffer. In more acidic media, an associated component was reversibly formed in an equilibrium with the dissociated form.
3. The molecular weight of the dissociated component was 6.13×105.
4. Purified hemocyanin contained 0.260% copper, and traces of silver were found to be always present.
The authors wish to express their hearty gratitude to the late Prof. A. Nishimura for his interest and encouragement during this investigation, and to Prof. Y. Ogura, University of Tokyo, for his valuable advices. Thanks are also due to Miss K. Watatsu, the institute of Applied Microbiology, University of Tokyo, for the operation of Spinco model H electrophoresis apparatus. The authors also express their rgratitude to Messrs. K, Mori, H. Hiyoshi, and M. Kawaguchi, the Fisheries Experimental Station of Shizuoka-ken, for their kind aid in obtaining fresh-caught, living squids.
