LIPOPHORIN AS A LIPID CARRIER IN THE HEMOLYMPH OF THE HORSESHOE-CRAB,LIMULUS-POLYPHEMUS

A high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was obtained from the hemolymph of Li mulus polyphemus in yields generally less than 30 mug/ml by ultracentr ifugal flotation. SDS-PAGE revealed two apolipoproteins with masses si milar to those of apolipophorins (apoLp-I, 265 +/- 14 kDa; apoLp-II, 8 9 +/- 6 kDa). Lipid composition was different from both insect lipopho rin and crustacean HDL, and showed less diacylglycerols than triacylgl ycerols (3.8% and 36.2% of total lipids, respectively). Since Limulus polyphemus is closely related to precambrian chelicerates, our results confirm that lipophorin was present early in the evolution of arthrop ods.