Electrophoretic analyses of the crop contents of Helobdella stagnalis (L.) (Hirudinea)

Abstract

First, experiments were tested for a new method concerning analyses of crop contents in liquosomatophagous animals. Disc-electrophoretic separations of the crop contents of Helobdella stagnalis yielded protein patterns typical for the number of bands and for the relative mobilities in these Chironomid larvae, on which H. stagnalis were fed. Additionally, slowly migrating bands occurred in the separations of the crop contents, varying in their number; likewise, an esterase showed a high activity at a crop contents of pH 6.2.