Locklair, M.R.*; Glas, P.S.: Chitin Type Substances Associated With the Embryonic Coat of the Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes Pugio

The focus of this investigation is to determine if embryonic coat proteins are composed of chitin or chitin-type derivatives. The morphological changes in the embryonic coat were shown by Glas, et al., but the composition of the embryonic coat has yet to be determined. Embryos were collected and their coats isolated during each stage of their embryonic development. The isolates were then electrophoresed on a gradient gel, fixed and stained for protein. Gels were also stained for glycoproteins such as chitin. Also, some isolates were treated with chitinase, N-acetylglucosaminidase or both. The resulting supernatants and pellets were run on PAGE. The results suggest the presence of chitin or a chitin derivative in the embryonic envelope. Determining coat compostition can be beneficial in a number of ways. It could be of assistance in the culture of related species as food sources, environmental monitoring, and in the biomedical field. More specifically the production of chitin or N-acetylglucosamine production by the grass shrimpembryo might be of interest as a source of a flexible, resilient polymer for biomedical groups, or as a source of the glucosamine gene. This study was supported by The Citadel Developmental Foundation (PSG) and Charleston Scientific and Cultural Education Fund (MRL).