LOCALIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HEMOPROTEINS IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS-TISSUE OF SOME GASTROPODS

1. 1. The red coloured ganglia of Lymnaea stagnalis and Planorbarius corneus, and the colourless ganglia of Helix pomatia and Cepaea nemoralis have been investigated by the benzidine reaction for the characterization and localization of hemoproteins. 2. 2. For L. stagnalis and P. corneus the reaction deposits appear only within glial cells, whereas for the central nervous tissue of H. pomatia and C. nemoralis the hemoproteins are constituent of cytosomes within neurons only. 3. 3. By gel electrophoresis these neuro-hemoproteins of L. stagnalis and P. corneus show similar electrophoretical mobility and differ from the hemoproteins in the hemolymphs respectively. 4. 4. Experiments with time depending cultured ganglia prove the important part of the neuro-hemoproteins in the gas exchange between the hemolymph and the avascular ganglia. 5. 5. The connection of the environmental conditions of the animals studied here with regard to the occurrence of hemoglobin-like proteins and carotinoids in the ganglia was discussed. © 1979.