Tissue-specific secretory proteins of the salivary glands of Chironomus thummi An electrophoretic and immunochemical analysis

The salivary proteins of Chironomus thummi larvae were separated by SDS gel electrophoresis and characterized by immunological techniques. As a result, five protein fractions (sp-220, sp-180, sp-35, sp-18, and sp-16) with molecular weights Mr=220000, 180000, 35000, 18000 and 16000 were identified in 6%–20% polyacrylamide gradient gels. In addition, three giant proteins fractions (molecular weights exceeding Mr=800000) were detected in composite polyacrylamide-agarose gels. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis allowed us to identify five immunochemically dissimilar organ-specific antigen fractions in the salivary gland secretion. Data were obtained indicating that the protein fractions, sp-220, sp-180, sp-35, sp-18, and sp-16, are immunochemically and structurally similar. The giant secretory proteins and the secretory fractions with low molecular weights were found to be immunochemically unrelated.