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Walton W. Dickhoff

Publications and source records attributed to Walton W. Dickhoff.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Tissue-specific induction of Hsp90 mRNA and plasma cortisol response in chinook salmon following heat shock, seawater challenge, and handling challenge

In studying the whole-body response of chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) to various stressors, we found that 5-hour exposure to elevated temperature (mean 21.6°C; + 10.6°C over ambient) induced a marked increase in Hsp90 messenger RNA accumulation in heart, brain, gill, muscle, liver, kidney, and tail fin tissues. The most vital tissues (heart, brain, gill, and muscle) showed the greatest Hsp90-mRNA response, with heart tissue increasing approximately 35-fold. Heat shock induced no increase in plasma cortisol. In contrast, a standard handling challenge induced high plasma cortisol levels, but no elevation in Hsp90 mRNA in any tissue, clearly separating the physiological and cellular stress responses. We saw no increase either in tissue Hsp90 mRNA levels or in plasma cortisol concentrations after exposing the fish to seawater overnight.

Marine Biotechnology

Physiological status of naturally reared juvenile spring chinook salmon in the Yakima River: Seasonal dynamics and changes associated with smolting

Two year-classes of juvenile spring chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Yakima River, Washington, were sampled from July (3-4 months postemergence) through May (yearling smolt out-migration). Physiological characters measured included liver glycogen, body lipid, gill Na+-K+ ATPase, plasma thyroxine (T4), and plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Distinct physiological changes were found that corresponded to season. Summer and fall were characterized by relatively high body lipid and condition factor. Winter was characterized by decreases in body lipid, condition factor, and plasma hormones. An increase in condition factor and body lipid was found in February and March. Finally, April and May were characterized by dramatic changes characteristic of smolting, including increased gill Na+-K+ ATPase activity, plasma T4, and IGF-I and decreased condition factor, body lipid, and liver glycogen. These results create a physiological template for juvenile spring chinook salmon in the drainage that provides a baseline for comparison with other years, populations, and life history types. In addition, this baseline provides a standard for controlled laboratory experiments and a target for fish culturists who rear juvenile spring chinook salmon for release from conservation hatcheries. The implications of these results for juvenile chinook salmon ecology and life history are discussed.

Washington

Growth, smoltification, and smolt-to-adult return of spring chinook salmon from hatcheries on the Deschutes river, Oregon

The relationship between smoltification and smolt-to-adult return (SAR) of spring chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Deschutes River, Oregon, was examined for four release groups in each of three successive years. Fish were reared, marked with coded wire tags, and released from Round Butte Hatchery, Pelton Ladder rearing facility, and Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery. Smolt releases occurred in nearly the same place at similar times, allowing a direct comparison of SAR to several characters representing smolt quality. Return rates varied significantly among facilities, varying over an order of magnitude each year. The highest average SAR was from Pelton Ladder, the lowest was from Warm Springs. Each of the characters used as metrics of smoltification - fish size, spring growth rate (February-April), condition factor, plasma hormone concentration (thyroxine, cortisol, and insulin-like growth factor-I [IGF-I]), stress challenge, gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity, and liver glycogen concentration - varied significantly among facilities and seasonally within hatchery groups. However, only spring growth rate, gill ATPase activity, and plasma IGF-I concentration showed significant relationships to SAR. These characters and SAR itself were consistently lower for fish released from Warm Springs Hatchery than for fish from Round Butte Hatchery and Pelton Ladder. This demonstrates that differences in the quality of fish released by facilities may have profound effects on subsequent survival and suggests that manipulations of spring growth rate may be used to influence the quality of smolts released from facilities.

Oregon

Developmental differences in the responsiveness of gill Na+, K+ and -ATPase to cortisol salmonids

The ability of cortisol to increase gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity was examined in several salmonid species during development. Coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) parr were unresponsive to cortisol in vitro (10 μg/ml for 2 days) in November. Responsiveness was significant from January to March, peaking in January just prior to seasonal increases in gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity. Gill tissue became unresponsive to in vitro cortisol in April when in vivo gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity peaked. The ability of cortisol to stimulate gill, Na + , K + -ATPase activity in postemergent fry (2–3 months after hatching) was examined in chum ( O. keta ), chinook ( O. tschawytscha ), coho, and Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ). Initial levels of gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity were elevated in chum salmon, which normally migrate as fry. Cortisol (10 μg/ml for 4 days in vitro ) increased gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity in chum salmon fry (48% above initial levels), had a limited but significant effect in chinook salmon fry, and had no effect in coho and Atlantic salmon fry. In an in vivo experiment, Atlantic salmon previously exposed to simulated natural photoperiod (SNP) and continuous light (L24) received four cortisol injections of 2 μg · g −1 every third day. SNP fish responded with increased gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity (+66%), whereas L24 fish were not affected. Atlantic salmon presmolts with initially low levels of gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity responded to cortisol in vitro , whereas smolts with initially high levels of gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity were unresponsive. Triiodothyronine (0.01–10 μg/ml), prolactin (0.1–10 μg/ml), growth hormone (0.1–10 μg/ml), insulin (0.01–10 μg/ml), and bovine insulin-like growth factor I (0.01–1 μg/ml) did not affect gill Na + , K + -ATPase activity in vitro , individually or with cortisol (1–10 μg/ml). Thus, changes in responsiveness to cortisol occur during salmonid development, vary among species, and may be important in the heterochrony that characterizes the parr-smolt transformation.

General and Comparative Endocrinology

Effects of freshwater exposure to arsenic trioxide on the parr-smolt transformation of coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch )

The effects of chronic (6 months) exposure to arsenic trioxide in fresh water on the Parr-smolt transformation of coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) were evaluated. Exposure to 300 μg As/L (as As 2 O 3 ) appeared to delay the onset of the normal increase in plasma thyroxine concentration and cause a transient reduction of gill Na + ,K + -ATPase activity. Fish exposed to 300 μg As/L also migrated to the sea less successfully than did nonexposed smolts, but there were no effects on the survival and growth of smolts held in 28‰ salt water for 6 months.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry