血蓝蛋白是动物界的三类呼吸功能蛋白之一,目前仅发现于节肢动物和软体动物等少数动物类群中。不同亚型的血蓝蛋白有不同的理化性质和序列,但均结合氧分子,并以六聚体,甚至更复杂的聚合体结构存在。血蓝蛋白与酚氧化酶、拟血蓝蛋白、昆虫储存蛋白以及昆虫储存蛋白受体等结构类似、进化上近缘的分子共同组成了血蓝蛋白超家族。该文主要介绍了血蓝蛋白家族成员在节肢动物四大类群(螯肢动物、多足动物、甲壳动物和六足动物)中已知的分布、结构和功能,并重点综述了血蓝蛋白家族成员在节肢动物系统演化研究中发挥的独特而有效的作用,进一步强调了在更多节肢动物类群中研究血蓝蛋白家族的功能和演化的重要性。
Hemocyanin,occurring only in minority animal groups including some arthropod and mollusk species,is one of the three kinds of respiratory proteins in animal kingdom.Different hemocyanin subunits have distinct physico-chemical properties and sequences respectively,but share the behavior of oxygen-binding and the structure of hexamers or even more complex multi-hexamers.Besides hemocyanins,the hemocyanin superfamily includes four other classes of proteins with similar structures and closely related phylogenic relationships: phenoloxidases,cryptocyanins,hexamerins and hexamerin receptors.Here we summarize the distribution,structure and function of hemocyanin superfamily members in the four major groups of euarthropods(Chelicerata,Myriapoda,Crustacea and Hexapoda),and especially review their distinct and valuable contributions in the study of arthropod evolution.Finally,we suggest the significance of further exploring the function and evolution of hemocyanin superfamily members in more arthropod groups.