Lipophorin as a lipid carrier in the hemolymph of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus

A high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was obtained from the hemolymph of Limulus polyphemus in yields generally less than 30 micrograms/ml by ultracentrifugal flotation. SDS-PAGE revealed two apolipoproteins with masses similar to those of apolipophorins (apoLp-I, 265 +/- 14 kDa; apoLp-II, 89 +/- 6 kDa). Lipid composition was different from both insect lipophorin and crustacean HDL, and showed less diacylglycerols than triacylglycerols (3.8 and 36.2 of total lipids, respectively). Since Limulus polyphemus is closely related to precambrian chelicerates, our results confirm that lipophorin was present early in the evolution of arthropods.