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Cellular Basis for Quinone Tanning of the Perisarc in the Thecate Hydroid Campanularia (=Obelia) flexuosa Hinks

Abstract

QUINONE tanning of structural proteins is thought to be widespread in the invertebrates1. This process has been most intensively investigated in insects2 where part of the protein, present with chitin in the cuticle, is cross-linked by quinones produced by the action of an enzyme containing copper (phenol oxidase) on orthodihydroxy phenolic substrates. The orthodihydroxy substrate, in some situations, is thought to be stored in a masked form as a 4-O-β-D-glucoside and liberated from this by a β-D-glucosidase.

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KNIGHT, D. Cellular Basis for Quinone Tanning of the Perisarc in the Thecate Hydroid Campanularia (=Obelia) flexuosa Hinks. Nature 218, 584–586 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/218584a0

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