E. Servierezaragoza et al., PROTEIN-HYDROLYZING ENZYMES IN THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS OF THE ADULT MEXICAN BLUE ABALONE, HALIOTIS FULGENS (GASTROPODA), Aquaculture, 157(3-4), 1997, pp. 325-336
The physiology of protein digestion by adult abalone was investigated.
The female and male digestive systems of blue abalone were studied by
using enzymatic techniques, including proteinaceous-substrate hydroly
sis, specific synthetic-substrate hydrolysis, specific inhibitors in p
roteinaceous-substrate hydrolysis, and proteinase composition by subst
rate SDS-PAGE. The highest proteolytic activity was found in the intes
tinal and rectal fluids at alkaline pH, followed by hepatopancreas and
crop-stomach content at acid pH. Trypsin and chymotrypsin activity we
re found along the intestine and rectum. Chymotrypsin activity was 10
times higher than trypsin activity. Several unknown proteinase activit
ies were found in the hepatopancreas, crop-stomach content, intestinal
fluid, and rectal fluid. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.