Isolation and selected properties of a molluscan ferritin with a low P/Fe ratio

Kim, K.S., Webb, J. and Macey, D.J. (1989) Isolation and selected properties of a molluscan ferritin with a low P/Fe ratio. Inorganica Chimica Acta, 158 (1). p. 127.

Abstract

Ferritin has been isolated and characterized from the hemolymph of the limpet Patella laticostata. The intact protein was found to have a Mr of approx. 480 000 and be composed of a single subunit with an approx. Mr of 26 000. In addition, it possessed a pI of 6.6-6.8 despite displaying a low number of basic residues on amino acid determination. Chemical analysis revealed an iron to protein ratio of approx. 2000:1, while electron microscopy showed a core diameter of approx. 8 nm. Of particular interest is the extremely low phosphate to iron ratio which varied between 1:45 and 1:35 and which is far less than that reported for mammalian ferritins.