Complete Sequence of the 24-mer Hemocyanin of the TarantulaEurypelma californicum

Hemocyanins are large oligomeric respiratory proteins found in many arthropods and molluscs. The hemocyanin of the tarantula Eurypelma californicum is a 24-mer protein complex with molecular mass of 1,726,459 Da that consists of seven different polypeptides (a–g), each occupying a distinct position within the native molecule. Here we report the complete molecular structure of the E. californicumhemocyanin as deduced from the corresponding cDNAs. This represents the first complex arthropod hemocyanin to be completely sequenced. The different subunits display 52–66% amino acid sequence identity. Within the subunits, the central domain, which bears the active center with the copper-binding sit…