Main description:

Haemocyanin was first recognised as a respiratory pigment by P. Bert in 1867. Over the years the haemocyanins have attracted attention as macromolecules and copper-contain- ing respiratory proteins. The early functional studies of A.C. Redfield (Biol. Rev. 9, 176, 1934) and the ultracen- trifuge work of I.B. Ericksson-Quensel and T. Svedberg (Biol. Bull. 21, 498, 1936) come easily to mind. In recent years haemocyanin studies have come to the forefront with the work of the Ghirettis (Padova), R. Lontie (Louven), E.F.J. Van Bruggen (Groningen) and Joe and Celia Bonaven- tura (Beaufort) to mention but a few of the number of able investigators coming to this field from diverse disciplines. It is hoped that this book presents a fair cross section of current workers and work on haemocyanin. It is the sec- ond collection of haemocyanin studies to be published after a Workshop on the Structure and Function of Haemocyanin. The first haemocyanin meeting was held by Professors F. "Ghiro" Ghiretti and Anna Ghiretti-Magaldi in Naples in 1966. Subsequent meetings have been held at Groningen (1970), Louven (1971) and Padova (1974).
Current interest in haemocyanin can be judged by the scope and breadth of the papers from the Malta meeting and pre- sented here. In organising the Malta meeting I would like to thank Dr. John Tooze of the European Molecular Biology Organisation and my friend and colleague, Professor Mauri- zio Brunori for their continuous help and support.

Contents:

Problems Presented by Haemocyanins..- Hemocyanin as a Protein.- Heterogeneity of Panulirus interruptus Hemocyanin..- Structure, Dissociation and Reassembly of Limulus polyphemus Hemocyanin..- Association Equilibria of Callianassa Hemocyanin..- Spider Hemocyanins: Recent Advances in the Study of Their Structure and Function..- Scorpion Hemocyanin Subunits: Properties, Dissociation, Association..- Subunit Association and Oxygen-Binding Properties in Spider Hemocyanins..- Heterogeneous Subunits of the Hemocyanins from Jasus edwardsii and Ovalipes catharus..- Crystals of Limulus Hemocyanin and Its Subunits..- Subunits of Hemocyanin.- Digestion of Lymnaea stagnalis Haemocyanin with Trypsin..- Structural Investigations on ?-Haemocyanin of Helix pomatia by Limited Proteolysis..- Composition and Structure of Glycopeptides Obtained by Cyanogen Bromide Cleavage of Buccinum undatum Haemocyanin..- Breakdown of Murex trunculus Haemocyanin into Subunits..- The Minimal Subunit of Arthropod Hemocyanin..- Morphology of Helix pomatia Hemocyanin and Its Subunits..- Physical Properties of Hemocyanin.- The Investigation of the Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectra of Some Copper Proteins..- Fluorescence and Absorption Studies of Limulus Hemocyanin and Its Components..- Limulus polyphemus Hemocyanin. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of Its Subunits..- Hemocyanin as a Copper Complex.- On the Active Site of Molluscan Haemocyanin and of Tyrosinases. Opening Address..- Photooxidative and Spectral Studies of Octopus vulgaris Hemocyanin..- The Photooxidation of Helix pomatia Haemocyanin..- X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic Studies of Hemocyanin and Superoxide Dismutase..- Electron Paramagnetic Resonance in the Study of Binuclear Centres of Copper Proteins..- Reactions of Hemocyanin.- Some Reflections About Linked Phenomena in Macromole- cules..- Oxygen Binding to Haemocyanin: A Tentative Analysis in the Framework of a Concerted Model..- The Oxygen Equilibrium of Murex trunculus Haemocyanin..- Properties of the Oxygen-Binding Domains Isolated from Subtilisin Digests of Six Molluscan Hemocyanins..- Oxygen-Binding of Associated and Dissociated Octopus vulgaris Hemocyanin..- Interactions of Sulfur-Containing Ligands with Arthropod and Molluscan Hemocyanins..- The Reaction of Helix pomatia Methaemocyanin with Azide and Fluoride..- Kinetics of Reaction Between Hemocyanin and CN- and of Reconstitution of Hemocyanin with K3Cu(CN)4..- Properties of Hemocyanin from Limulus polyphemus (Horseshoe Crab) Under Dissociating Conditions..- Kinetic Analysis of Oxygen-Binding of Panulirus interruptus Hemocyanin..- Hemocyanin of the Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus. A Temperature-Jump Study of the Oxygen Kinetics of the Isolated Components..- Evolutionary Studies on Hemocyanin.- Evolutionary Studies on Hemocyanin..- Physiology of Hemocyanin.- Haemocyanin-Producing Cells in Gastropod Molluscs..