Purification and physico-chemical study of serum albumins of two neotropical fish species from the São Francisco River Bassin, Brazil

Abstract

This paper presents results from a study of albumin from pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus, Holmberg 1887) and the catfish pintado (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans, Spix & Agassiz, 1829), two neotropical fish species inhabitants of Brazilian rivers, comparing their molecular mass and discussing their secondary structures based on spectropolarimetric (circular dychroism) measurements. Genetic controlled specimens were obtained from two fish hatcheries, located in Mococa (pacu) and in São João da Boa Vista (pintado), both in São Paulo State, Brazil. After a period of adaptation in holding tanks, fish blood samples were taken by punctioning their abdominal aorta. Purified albumin was obtained by gel filtration. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was performed for the molecular mass estimation. Circular Dichroism spectra were registered for albumins of the two fish species over the range of 190-250 nm (far-UV), which shown two negative bands at 217 and 208 nm, a positive peak at 196 nm and a crossover at 200 nm. This profile is compatible with proteins that content predominantly alpha-helix structure.

Development and use of a Chinook salmon spleen stromal-like cell line to study the cellular immune response to Vibrio anguillarum

“…It has been shown that total plasma protein and albumin content of mammalian serum is twice and four times that of fish respectively [ 52 ]. Though variable, lower values of albumin and plasma protein when compared to mammals have been consistently shown in sera from fish species [ 21 , 24 , 42 ]. Thus, V. anguillarum may be better able to grow at lower concentrations of FBS as this would be comparable to both its native marine environment and the blood of potential teleostean host species.…”