A PUTATIVE VITELLOGENIN IN CELOMIC FLUID OF ECHINOTHURIOID SEA-URCHINS, ARAEOSOMA-OWSTONI AND ASTHENOSOMA-IJIMAI

A protein, which cross-reacts with antibodies against vitellogen purif ied from the unfertilized eggs of sea urchin species of order Echinoid a, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus, was found In the coelomic fluid of echi nothurioid sea urchins, Araeosoma owstoni and Asthenosoma ijimai. This protein had overall molecular mass similar to vitellogenin of four se a urchin species, H. pulcherrimus, Anthocidaris crassispina, Temnopleu rus hardwickii, and Scaphechinus mirabilis. Molecular weights of the p rotein of A. owstoni and A. ijimai were estimated to be 190,000 and 18 0,000 kDa, respectively, by SDS PAGE in reduced conditions. Immunoblot analysis using antibodies raised against Araeosoma vitellogenin-like protein and Hemicentrotus vitellogen indicated that. the Araeosoma and Asthenosoma proteins had epitopes common to vitellogenins of other fo ur species examined. Coelomic fluid of the direct developers, Araeosom a and Asthenosma, contained a protein homologous to vitellogenin of th e typical indirect developing sea urchins. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science I nc.