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Structure of the Schistosome Eggshell: Amino Acid Analysis and Incorporation of Labelled Amino Acids
Preparations of eggshells of Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum were hydrolyzed and analyzed for amino acid composition. Both species showed great similarities in the proportions of each residue found. The predominant amino acid in shell hydrolysates was found to be glycine, which accounted for 37% of S. mansoni and 45% of S. japonicum amino acids. Four components (glycine, aspartic acid, lysine, and serine) totalled 68–75% of amino acids in the eggshells. Other individual amino acids were present in relatively small proportions ranging from 5.2–0.01%. Less than 1% of the amino acid residues were identified as tyrosine, and bityrosine was detected at a level not exceeding 1 in 1,600 residues. Carbohydrates were estimated to comprise 7.5–10% of the eggshell weight, based on hexose assay, and glucosamine was identified as the principal amino sugar in shell hydrolysates. In vivo labelling of the S. mansoni eggshell was demonstrated following injection of C14-glycine and C14-tyrosine into infected mice and subsequent purification of the shells of eggs recovered from their liver.