Existence in Salmonid Hemoglobins of Molecular Species with Three and Four Different Polypeptides

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Abstract
The approximate equivalence of tryptic fragments and total basic amino acids per molecule of hemoglobin in five species of Pacific salmon, and the demonstration in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) of three or four electrophoretically distinct polypeptides in each of six major hemoglobin fractions separated by starch-gel electrophoresis, provided strong evidence for the in vivo existence in salmonids of molecular species of hemoglobins consisting of three and four different polypeptides. At least eight electrophoretically distinct polypeptides, including forms allelic to both the α- and β-type proteins, were found, accounting for the presence of large numbers of molecular species of hemoglobins and providing further evidence for the tetraploid origin of most salmonids.