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Science 4 October 1974:
Vol. 186. no. 4158, pp. 57 - 59
DOI: 10.1126/science.186.4158.57
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Articles

Urea Tolerance as a Molecular Adaptation of Elasmobranch Hemoglobins

Joseph Bonaventura 1, Celia Bonaventura 1, and Bolling Sullivan 1

1 Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 28206, and Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516

Urea is maintained at moderately high concentrations in the blood and tissues of marine elasmobranchs. Functional properties of the hemoglobins fromn several elasmobranch species are unaffected by urea concentrations as high as 5 molar. This in. sensitivity to urea, which is not observed with human hemoglobin, is accompanied by an increased sensitivity to sodium chloride.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Living with water stress: evolution of osmolyte systems.
P. Yancey, M. Clark, S. Hand, R. Bowlus, and G. Somero (1982)
Science 217, 1214-1222
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)