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K. Moore

Publications and source records attributed to K. Moore.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Influence of thiamine deficiency on Lake Trout larval growth, foraging, and predator avoidance

Diet‐related thiamine deficiency increases the acute mortality, known as early mortality syndrome, of salmonines from some of the Great Lakes. The consequences of thiamine deficiency as measured at the egg stage for other important early life stage processes like growth, foraging efficiency, and predator avoidance that may also result in mortality, are unknown. Accordingly, we investigated the impacts of low thiamine on the specific growth rate (SGR) of first‐feeding fry, the ability of first‐feeding fry to capture Daphnia , fry emergence in the presence of a potential predator (round goby Apollina (formerly Neogobius ) melanostomus ), and predation by slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus . We used a combination of thiamine‐deficient and thiamine‐replete wild stocks of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush for this purpose. From these investigations we developed predictive relationships. Specific growth rate was related to egg thiamine concentration. From the exponential relationship, it was predicted that the threshold egg thiamine concentrations associated with 20% and 50% reductions in SGR are 8.1 and 5.1 nmol/g, respectively. The foraging rate on Daphnia was also related to egg thiamine concentration by an exponential relationship. It was predicted that the threshold concentrations associated with 20% and 50% reductions in this rate are 6.9 and 2.9 nmol/g, respectively. The presence of a round goby significantly reduced emergence success, but the level of goby predation was unrelated to egg thiamine concentration. Sculpin predation was related, although weakly, to the initial egg thiamine concentration. This research found that thiamine deficiency affected growth, foraging, and predator avoidance in lake trout fry. Growth effects resulting from thiamine deficiency may represent the most sensitive means of monitoring the impact of the secondary consequences of thiamine deficiency. Mortality associated with the combined effects of reduced growth and foraging has the potential to seriously impair lake trout recruitment.

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health↗

Can diet-dependent factors help explain fish-to-fish variation in thiamine-dependent early mortality syndrome?

To provide insight into the reasons why offspring of certain salmonine females exhibit early mortality syndrome (EMS) in the Great Lakes whereas others do not, we measured the egg concentrations of potential biochemical markers (stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon, fatty acid signatures, and lipid-soluble carotenoids and vitamins) that are indicative of differing food web and trophic structure. To corroborate the presence of EMS, we also measured the egg content of thiamine vitamers. For all the stocks of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch and Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha we studied, there was a very high correspondence between EMS and low concentrations of unphosphorylated thiamine in unfertilized eggs. For salmonine stocks in the Platte River, Thompson Creek, and the Swan River, Michigan, small but significant shifts occurred in measures of egg carotenoids, retinoids, ??15N depletion, and fatty acid profiles of fish producing normal offspring relative to those exhibiting EMS. Egg thiamine concentrations in Chinook salmon from the Little Manistee River, Michigan, in the low-EMS group were only marginally above the threshold for EMS induction. Along with this small thiamine differential, there was no evidence of differing food web or dietary factors between EMS-positive and normal Chinook salmon from the Little Manistee River. Further investigations are required to determine the potential dietary sources for the observed differences in biochemical markers between EMS-positive and normal fish. These findings are generally consistent with the hypothesis that a more diverse forage base may help to limit overall dietary content of species that contain thiaminase, such as alewives Alosa pseudoharengus, and may lead to improved embryonic survival for feral salmonids. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health↗

Effect of sample handling on thiamine and thiaminolytic activity in alewife

Alewives Alosa pseudoharengus were collected to evaluate handling and processing conditions that may affect the measurement of their thiamine-thiaminase content. Fish were captured by otter trawl, and reference samples of live fish were quick-frozen on dry ice immediately following capture. Other samples were placed on wet ice (4??C) or held in ambient lake water (21.5??C) for periods of up to 5 h before freezing. Total thiamine levels for reference samples averaged 26 nmol/g and consisted of 66, 15, and 19% thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), thiamine monophosphate (TMP), and unphosphorylated thiamine (Th), respectively. After 120 min at either 4??C or 21.5??C, total thiamine concentrations were lower. At 21.5??C, the TPP proportion had decreased by 30 min and the proportion as Th increased after 60 min. In the groups sampled after 5 h, total thiamine concentrations were not altered but the proportion of TPP was lower and that of Th was higher than in reference samples. The stability of thiamine in thawed muscle samples from previously frozen alewives was poor (40% loss by 1 h at 22??C and 30% loss by 2 h at 4??C). Thiaminase activity averaged 5,975 pmol??g wet weight -1??min-1 in reference samples. In fresh-caught alewives, thiaminase activities were remarkably consistent throughout the sampling period. At 4??C, thiaminase activity in muscle tissue from previously frozen alewives was stable for the entire investigation period. At 25??C, the activity initially increased by 40% after 60 min but then decreased to 50% of initial value after 5 h. We conclude that sampling times greater than 25 min could cause some changes in the various thiamine forms and net loss in total thiamine. The thiamine content in previously frozen alewife samples is highly labile, requiring low temperatures during processing for analysis. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health↗

Effectiveness of egg immersion in aqueous solutions of thiamine and thiamine analogs for reducing early mortality syndrome

Protocols used for therapeutic thiamine treatments in salmonine early mortality syndrome (EMS) were investigated in lake trout Salvelinus namaycush and coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch to assess their efficacy. At least 500 mg of thiamine HCl/L added to egg baths was required to produce a sustained elevation of thiamine content in lake trout eggs. Thiamine uptake from egg baths was not influenced by a pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 or by a water hardness between 2 and 200 mg CaCO3/L. There was poorer thiamine uptake when initial thiamine levels were low, suggesting that current treatment regimes may not be as effective when thiamine levels are severely depressed and that higher treatment doses are necessary. Exposure of eggs to the more lipid-soluble thiamine analog allithiamine (1,000 mg/L) during water hardening increased egg thiamine levels by 1.5-2.5 nmol/g and was completely effective at reversing EMS. Another more lipid-soluble thiamine analog, benfotiamine (100 mg/L), reduced EMS but did not produce detectable increases in egg thiamine content. Although benfotiamine may be more effective than thiamine at mitigating EMS, it is more expensive than thiamine HCl or allithiamine. In addition, there still needs to be a more thorough examination of dose-response relationships. We conclude that allithiamine is an alternative to the use of thiamine in egg baths as a therapeutic treatment for salmonid EMS. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health↗

Temporal and spatial variation of early mortality syndrome in salmonids from Lakes Michigan and Huron

To assess the extent that early mortality syndrome (EMS) impacts different Pacific salmonid stocks and the association of EMS with thiamine, we collected eggs of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch from three Lake Michigan tributaries (Platte River, Thompson Creek, and Root River) in 1996-2001. We also obtained eggs of Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha from Lake Michigan (Little Manistee River) and Lake Huron (Swan River) in 1998-2001. Unfertilized eggs from individual females were frozen for thiamine analysis, and the remainder were fertilized and reared until first feeding. We observed a high incidence of EMS in offspring when total egg thiamine levels were less than 1.7 nmol/g in both coho and Chinook salmon. In Lake Michigan strain coho salmon from the Platte River, EMS occurred in more than 70% of monitored families in 1996, 1999, 2000, and 2001, while 1997 and 1998 were years when EMS was low (<25%). Hinchenbrooke strain coho salmon from Thompson Creek exhibited greater impacts from EMS in the years when EMS was low in the Lake Michigan strain coho salmon from the Platte River. Similar to coho salmon, Lake Michigan Chinook salmon also exhibited EMS (>70%) in 1999, 2000, and 2001. Chinook salmon from Lake Huron exhibited high (>70%) EMS in 2001, moderate (40-60%) EMS in 1999, and low (<25%) EMS in 1998. Our data suggest that the incidence of EMS in salmonids varies by species, location, and year. The data support the general contention that EMS in salmonids is associated with low egg thiamine content. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

Journal of Aquatic Animal Health↗