AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

γ-crystallin and albuminoid from the lens of the dogfish eye produce, on hydrolysis in 6N HCI, a substance which fluoresces at 445nm. This substance was separated from the rest of the acid hydrolysate by salt gradient elution on cellulose phosphate and desalting on Bio-Gel followed by salt gradient elution of DEAE-cellulose. The fluorescent substance is characterized by a complicated UV absorption spectrum with peaks at 273 and 360nm and a shoulder at 305nm, and an activation spectrum which corresponds to the absorption spectrum except for the relative peak heights which differ slightly. It is soluble in water, ethyl acetate and dichloroethane and fluoresces weakly in the latter two solvents. It is ninhydrin-negative and does not appear on alkaline hydrolysis of the source proteins. The structure of the compound was not determined.