The Female-specific Protein (Vitellogenic Protein) in Crustacea with Particular Reference to Orchestic gammarella (Amphipoda)

Comparative electrophoretic studies of male and female hemolymphin Crustacea have led to the discovery of a lipoglycoproteinfraction present in females and absent from males. The female-specificprotein fraction also contains a pigment which has been identifiedin a small number of species and appears to be a carotenoid.Further observations indicated that the presence of this fractionis coincident with the presence of maturing ovocytes in theovary. The major protein component of the vitellus is also alipoglycocarotenoprotein complex. Comparative analyses haveshown that the female-specific protein fraction present in hemolymphand the major protein component of the vitellus are electrophoreticallyand immunochemically identical. Moreover, in the Amphipod Orchestiagammarella both components appear to have the same molecularweight, estimated as approximately 3 x 10⁵ by Sephadex G 200gel filtration. Although there is ample evidence to supportthe idea that the female-specific protein is synthesized externallyto the ovary, the site of synthesis still remains unknown. Experimentallyinduced sex reversal in O. gammarella indicates that the synthesisof the female specific protein is under ovarian control.