Studies on biochemical characterization of biliverdin-binding protein, anguillacyanin, from the plasma of Japanese eel(Anguilla japonica)

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The plasma of Japanese eel(Anguilla japonica) is bluish green color, due to the presence of biliverdin. Anguillacyanin, a biliverdin-binding protein, was studied using the lipoprotein-free plasma of Japanese eel. The isolated protein with a molecular mass of 75, 000 was assumed to be a monomer. N-Terminal amino acid sequences of Anguillacyanin were identical with 12 amino acids of warm temperature acclimation protein WAP65 from European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax and hemopexin-like protein from Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus among 20 amino acids. The short amino acid sequences of internal peptides separated by endoproteinase digestion were also identical with warm temperature acclimation protein and hemopexin-like protein from other fishes. Hemopexin is a serum glycoprotein that binds free heme pigment and transports it to the liver for breakdown to bilirubin, after which the free hemopexin returns to the circulation. Anguillacyanin belongs to hemopexin family that may be involved in the transport of heme degradation products such as bilirubin and biliverdin.