IMMUNOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION AND BIOCHEMICAL-CHARACTERIZATION OF A GLUCOSE-TRANSPORTER IN THE POSTERIOR GILLS OF THE CRAB CARCINUS-MAENAS (L)

The euryhaline crab Carcinus maenas when adapted to hyposmotic medium shows an ion transporting-type epithelium in the three posterior gills . When they are perfused in hyposmotic conditions, there is highly spe cific sodium-independent glucose transport activity. This saturable tr ansport activity is inhibited by phloretin and diethylstilbestrol. Imm unological data obtained with the utilization of the antibody RaIRGT ( antibody anti-glucose transporter found in rat adipocytes) reveals the existence of a single bound protein of 38 Kd. This protein can specif ically bind to cytochalasin B which has a high affinity for the glucos e transporter found in numerous tissues of vertebrates. These biochemi cal and immunological data point to the existence of a glucose transpo rter of 38 Kd in the branchial tissue of this species of crab. (C) 199 4 Wiley-Liss, Inc.