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Studies on egg shells. VIII. —The determination of membrane‐, pore‐ and matrix‐protein—a reassessment
Author(s) -
Tyler C.,
Simkiss K.
Publication year - 1958
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740090610
Subject(s) - matrix (chemical analysis) , membrane , chemistry , sodium hydroxide , shell (structure) , fraction (chemistry) , alkali metal , cuticle (hair) , nitrogen , chemical engineering , chromatography , liquid nitrogen , biophysics , materials science , biochemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , biology , anatomy , engineering
The first paper in this series suggested methods for determining membrane‐, pore‐ and matrix‐protein in egg shells. Further studies by means of histochemical methods and by the etching of plastic‐embedded specimens have shown that the method for membrane protein is sound. On the other hand, although the true shell contains nitrogen fractions, one of which is soluble in 10% sodium hydroxide and the other not, the allocation of the names ‘pore’ and ‘matrix’ protein respectively to these fractions is wrong. The alkali treatment removes the mammillary cores, the cuticle and part of the matrix of the spongy layer. Further, the organic matter of the shell contains acid mucopolysaccharide as well as protein. It is, therefore, recommended that the terms ‘pore’ and ‘matrix’ protein should be replaced respectively by the terms ‘soluble’ and ‘insoluble’ nitrogen fraction.