A preliminary study of Cu-, Cd- and Zn-binding components in the hepatopancreas of Palaemon elegans (Crustacea: Decapoda).

Three low molecular weight, metal-binding components have been isolated from the hepatopancreas of the shrimp Palaemon elegans. The two larger components P-I (11-15,000) and P-II (4-6000) were associated with large amounts of copper in field-collected and copper-exposed shrimps and with cadmium in shrimps exposed to elevated Cd concentrations. A smaller component, P-III was associated with zinc. The recovery of these components was dependent upon the use of a protease inhibitor and the reducing agent mercaptoethanol (2-M) during the separation procedure. Copper, zinc and cadmium are not evenly distributed between individual tissues of P. elegans, the highest concentrations occurring in the hepatopancreas, gills and eyes.