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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

USGS1976

Biochemical identification of the mallard, Anas platyrhynchos , and black duck, A. rubripes

1. Eleven tissue systems from mallards and black ducks were examined for soluble proteins, lactate dehydrogenases and non-specific esterases through discontinuous polyacrylamide techniques. 2. Biochemical relationships between the black duck and mallard are extremely similar. 3. Hemoglobins and lactate dehydrogenase appear to be common in electrophoretic mobility between the two species. 4. Approximately 89% of the soluble proteins and 58% of the non-specific esterases are common among the two species, indicating both biochemical similarity at the genus level and species-specificity.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: C↗

USGS1976

Comparison of techniques for stabilizing hemoglobins of rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ) during frozen storage

1. The stability of hemoglobin of rainbow trout under frozen conditions in oxyform, carboxyform, and cyanometform was examined. 2. Carboxyhemoglobin retained its original electrophoretic banding pattern after 14 days of frozen storage, whereas oxyform and cyanometform hemoglobins did not. 3. Banding patterns changed in some samples in all treatment groups after 21 days of storage.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: C↗

USGS1977

Reassociation and hybridization properties of DNAs from several species of fish

Reassociation and hybridization properties from spectrophotometric studies of DNAs from 10 species of fish indicate: 1. Great diversity in the amounts of repeated sequences in the genomes of different species - more specialized fish had less redundancy. 2. Large differences in the complexities of the DNAs - more specialized fish had less information. 3. Little homology between sequences of remotely related species but substantial homology between sequences of closely related species.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: C↗

USGS1983

Thymocyte plasma membrane of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri : Associated immunoglobulin and heteroantigens

1. Thymic lymphocytes of the rainbow trout, S. gairdneri were disrupted and a plasma membrane containing fraction isolated by differential and buoyant density centrifugation. 2. Radioiodine introduced into the membrane by the lactoperoxidase catalyzed reaction and immunoglobulin (identified by radioimmunoassay with monoclonal antibody) both copurified in the plasma membrane fraction. 3. Rabbit antibody raised to the plasma membrane fraction showed a strong reaction with trout lymphocytes in immunofluorescence, was mitogenic for trout lymphocytes, and recognized lymphocyte membrane heteroantigens of molecular weight > 70,000 in the thymus and 45,000–95,000 in the head kidney.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: C↗

USGS1987

Seasonal variation in diagnostic enzymes and biochemical constituents of captive northern bobwhites and passerines

1. A variety of biochemical measurements were taken periodically in captive northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus L.), European starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris L.), red-winged blackbirds ( Agelaius phoeniceus L.) and common grackles ( Quiscalus quiscula L.) to determine whether baseline values remain sufficiently stable throughout the year for general clinical use in the absence of concurrent control specimens. 2. Variables included whole blood hemotacrit and hemoglobin, plasma lactate dehydrogenase, α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alinine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, butyrylcholinesterase, alkaline phosphatase, glucose, albumin, total protein, creatinine, urea nitrogen, uric acid, cholesterol, and triglycerides, and brain acetylcholinesterase. Butyrl- and acetylcholinesterase were included because of their specific uses in toxicology. 3. Significant seasonal differences were detected for each of the variables except brain acetylcholinesterase in at least one of the species. Significant species differences were detected during at least one season for all of the variables measured. 4. All species were maintained outdoors, but only northern bobwhites came into reproductive condition and showed sex-differences in the clinical variables during their normal breeding season. 5. It was concluded that reference values for the 18 clinical variables measured could be calculated from our data for adult specimens of the species studied, and that results for one species cannot be extrapolated with certainty to any other species. 6. Estimated normal bounds for each of the 18 variables measured by commonly used clinical procedures are presented for reproductively quiescent northern bobwhites, European starlings, red-winged blackbirds, and common grackles.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: C↗

USGS1994

Lipids and proteins in the Rathke's gland secretions of the North American mud turtle ( Kinosternon subrubrum )

Lipids and proteins in the Rathke's gland secretions of the North American mud turtle ( Kinosternon subrubrum , Kinosternidae) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), respectively. Analysis by GC-MS indicates 2,3-dihydroxypropanal and C 3 –C 24 free or esterified fatty acids. Analysis by SDS-PAGE indicates a major protein component with an approximate molecular mass of 60 kDa and minor components ranging from ca. 23 to 34 kDa. The major component of K. subrubrum glandular secretions exhibits a mobility that matches that of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle ( Lepidochelys kempi , Cheloniidae), suggesting that these proteins are evolutionarily conserved.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: C↗

USGS2012

Identification of the thiamin pyrophosphokinase gene in rainbow trout: Characteristic structure and expression of seven splice variants in tissues and cell lines and during embryo development

Thiamin pyrophosphokinase (TPK) converts thiamin to its active form, thiamin diphosphate. In humans, TPK expression is down-regulated in some thiamin deficiency related syndrome, and enhanced during pregnancy. Rainbow trout are also vulnerable to thiamin deficiency in wild life and are useful models for thiamin metabolism research. We identified the tpk gene transcript including seven splice variants in the rainbow trout. Almost all cell lines and tissues examined showed co-expression of several tpk splice variants including a potentially major one at both mRNA and protein levels. However, relative to other tissues, the longest variant mRNA expression was predominant in the ovary and abundant in embryos. During embryogenesis, total tpk transcripts increased abruptly in early development, and decreased to about half of the peak shortly after hatching. In rainbow trout, the tpk transcript complex is ubiquitously expressed for all tissues and cells examined, and its increase in expression could be important in the early-middle embryonic stages. Moreover, decimated tpk expression in a hepatoma cell line relative to hepatic and gonadal cell lines appears to be consistent with previously reported down-regulation of thiamin metabolism in cancer.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: B↗

USGS2022

Metabolic costs associated with seawater acclimation in a euryhaline teleost, the fourspine stickleback (Apeltes quadracus)

The cost of osmoregulation in teleosts has been debated for decades, with estimates ranging from one to 30 % of routine metabolic rate. The variation in the energy budget appears to be greater for euryhaline fish due to their ability to withstand dynamic salinity levels. In this study, a time course of metabolic and physiological responses of the euryhaline fourspine stickleback ( Apeltes quadracus ) acclimated to freshwater (FW) and then exposed to seawater (SW) was examined. There was 18% mortality in the first 3 days following exposure to SW, with no mortalities in the FW control group. Gill Na + /K + -ATPase (NKA) activity, an index of osmoregulatory capacity, increased 2.6-fold in SW fish peaking on days 7 and 14. Gill citrate synthase activity, an index of aerobic capacity, was 50–62% greater in SW than FW fish and peaked on day 7. Tissue water content was significantly lower in the SW fish on day 1 only, returning to FW levels by day 3. Routine metabolic rate was decreased within 24 h of SW exposure and was maintained slightly (8–22%) but significantly lower in SW compared to FW water controls throughout the 2-week experiment. These results indicate that elevated salinity resulted in increased SW osmoregulatory and aerobic capacity in the gill, but with a reduced whole animal metabolic rate to this euryhaline species.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Bi↗

USGS1998

Osmoregulatory actions of the GH/IGF axis in non-salmonid teleosts

Salmonid fishes provided the first findings on the influence of the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis on osmoregulation in teleost fishes. Recent studies on non-salmonid species, however, indicate that this physiological action of the GH/IGF-I axis is not restricted to salmonids or anadromous fishes. GH-producing cells in the pituitary of fish acclimated to different salinities show different degrees of activation depending on the species studied. Plasma GH levels either increase or do not change after transfer of fish from freshwater to seawater. Treatment with GH or IGF-I increases salinity tolerance and/or increases gill Na + ,K + -ATPase activity of killifish ( Fundulus heteroclitus ), tilapia ( Oreochromis mossambicus and Oreochromis niloticus ) and striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ). As in salmonids, a positive interaction between GH and cortisol for improving hypoosmoregulatory capacity has been described in tilapia ( O . mossambicus ). Research on the osmoregulatory role of the GH/IGF-I axis is derived from a small number of teleost species. The study of more species with different osmoregulary patterns will be necessary to fully clarify the osmoregulatory role of GH/IGF-I axis in fish. The available data does suggest, however, that the influence of the GH/IGF-I axis on osmoregulation may be a common feature of euryhalinity in teleosts.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B: B↗

USGS2001

Regulation of subcellular localization of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR)

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the toxicity of dioxin and other xenobiotics. In the absence of exogenous ligand, AhR is cytosolic. We investigated how AhR is retained in the cytosol and how dioxin induces AhR to move to the nucleus. Disruption of nuclear export of AhR by the nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B (LMB) or by mutation of the AhR nuclear export signal resulted in nuclear accumulation of AhR in the absence of exogenous ligand. Mutation of the AhR nuclear localization signal resulted in defects in nuclear import of AhR in both the presence and the absence of exogenous ligand. Dioxin treatment caused a more rapid accumulation of AhR in the nucleus than LMB treatment. In the presence of both dioxin and LMB, nuclear accumulation of AhR was more rapid than in the presence of dioxin alone. Our results show that AhR shuttles between the nucleus and the cytosol in the absence of exogenous ligand. Binding of ligand induces an increase in the rate of nuclear import of AhR but does not eliminate nuclear export of AhR.

Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics↗

USGS1993

Polyphosphate present in DNA preparations from fungal species of Collectotrichum inhibits restriction endonucleases and other enzymes

During the development of a procedure for the isolation of total genomic DNA from filamentous fungi (Rodriguez, R. J., and Yoder, 0. C., Exp. Mycol. 15, 232-242, 1991) a cell fraction was isolated which inhibited the digestion of DNA by restriction enzymes. After elimination of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids, the active compound was purified by gel filtration to yield a single fraction capable of complete inhibition of restriction enzyme activity. The inhibitor did not absorb uv light above 220 nm, and was resistant to alkali and acid at 25°C and to temperatures as high as 100°C. More extensive analyses demonstrated that the inhibitor was also capable of inhibiting T4 DNA ligase and Taq I DNA polymerase, but not DNase or RNase. Chemical analyses indicated that the inhibitor was devoid of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids but rich in phosphorus. A combination of nuclear magnetic resonance, metachromatic shift of toluidine blue, and gel filtration indicated that the inhibitor was a polyphosphate (polyP) containing approximately 60 phosphate molecules. The mechanism of inhibition appeared to involve complexing of polyP to the enzymatic proteins. All species of Colletotrichum analyzed produced polyP equivalent in chain length and concentration. A modification to the original DNA extraction procedure is described which eliminates polyP and reduces the time necessary to obtain DNA of sufficient purity for restriction enzyme digestion and Taq I polymerase amplification.

Analytical Biochemistry↗

USGS1994

Physiology of seawater acclimation in the striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum)

Several experiments were performed to investigate the physiology of seawater acclimation in the striped bass, Morone saxatilis . Transfer of fish from fresh water (FW) to seawater (SW; 31–32 ppt) induced only a minimal disturbance of osmotic homeostasis. Ambient salinity did not affect plasma thyroxine, but plasma cortisol remained elevated for 24h after SW transfer. Gill and opercular membrane chloride cell density and Na + ,K + -ATPase activity were relatively high and unaffected by salinity. Average chloride cell size, however, was slightly increased (16%) in SW-acclimated fish. Gill succinate dehydrogenase activity was higher in SW-acclimated fish than in FW fish. Kidney Na + , K + -ATPase activity was slightly lower (16%) in SW fish than in FW fish. Posterior intestinal Na + ,K + -ATPase activity and water transport capacity (J v ) did not change upon SW transfer, whereas middle intestinal Na + ,K + -ATPase activity increased 35% after transfer and was correlated with an increase in J v (110%). As salinity induced only minor changes in the osmoregulatory organs examined, it is proposed that the intrinsic euryhalinity of the striped bass may be related to a high degree of “preparedness” for hypoosmoregulation that is uncommon among teleosts studied to data.

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry↗

USGS1993

Effects of feeding a high level of D-glucose on liver function juvenile white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)

Juvenile white sturgeon ( Acipenser transmontanus ) were fed three isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets containing either 35% D-glucose (HC), a mixture of 20% dextrin and 10% cellulose (MC), or 23% cellulose (LC), to investigate the effects of dietary carbohydrate on liver function. After 8-week feeding, body weight gain of fish fed the HC diet was consistently higher than that of fish fed the MC and LC diets, but was not significantly different from the MC-fed fish. Fish fed the HC diet had significantly (p < 0.05) higher feed efficiencies and liver glycogen concentrations than fish fed the MC and LC diets. Sturgeon were injected intravenously with 10 mg kg -1 body weight of sulfobromophthalein (BSP) and post-injection blood taken from the caudal vein at 15, 30, 60, and 120 min. No significant differences in plasma BSP concentrations were found among the treatments at these times. Plasma hemoglobin and activities of aspartate and alanine aminotransferase were not affected by the diets. This study suggests that the HC diet does not adversely affect liver function or weight gain. Inclusion of high dietary levels of digestible and inexpensive carbohydrates in commercial sturgeon feeds seems promising, but long-term feeding trials should be conducted to confirm this assertion.

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry↗

USGS1993

Osmoregulatory actions of growth hormone and its mode of action in salmonids: A review

Osmoregulatory actions of growth hormone (GH) and its mode of action in salmonids are reviewed. We present evidence suggesting that insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) mediates some of the actions of GH on seawater acclimation. Plasma concentration and turnover of GH rise following exposure to seawater. Exogenous GH ( in vivo ) increases gill Na + ,K + -ATPase activity and the number of gill chloride cells, and inhibits an increase in plasma osmolarity and ions following transfer of fish to seawater. A single class of high affinity GH receptors is present in the liver, gill, intestine, and kidney. The levels of IGF-I mRNA in the liver, gill and kidney increased after GH-injection. After transfer to seawater, IGF-I mRNA increased in the gill and kidney following the rise in plasma GH, although no significant change was seen in the liver. Injection of IGF-I improved the ability of the fish to maintain plasma sodium levels after transfer to seawater. GH treatment also sensitizes the interrenal to adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), increasing cortisol secretion. Both cortisol and IGF-I may be involved in mediating the action of GH in seawater adaptation, although studies on the effect of GH on osmoregulatory physiology of non-salmonid species are limited. An integrated model of the osmoregulatory actions of GH is presented, and areas in need of research are outlined.

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry↗

USGS1989

Comparison of whole body and tissue blood volumes in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) with 125 I bovine serum albumin and 51 Cr-erythrocyte tracers

Total, packed cell and, plasma volume estimates were made for the whole body and selected tissues of rainbow trout by the simultaneous injection of radiolabelled trout erythrocyte ( 51 Cr-RBC) and radioiodinated bovine serum albumin ( 125 I-BSA) tracers. Blood volumes were estimated with both markers separately by the tracer-hematocrit method and as the combination of the 51 Cr-RBC packed cell and 125 I-BSA plasma volumes. Mean whole body blood volume was significantly less when calculated from the 51 Cr-RBC tracer data (3.52±0.78 ml/100 g; ±SD) than when calculated with the 125 I-BSA tracer (5.06±0.86 ml/100 g) or as the sum of the two volumes combined (4.49±0.60 ml/100 g). The whole body hematocrit (28±5%), estimated as the quotient of the 51 Cr-RBC volume divided by the sum of the 125 I-BSA and the 51 Cr-RBC volumes, also was significantly less than the dorsal aortic microhematocrit (36±4%). Estimates of total blood volumes in most tissues were significantly smaller when calculated from the 51 Cr-RBC data than when calculated by the other two methods. Tissue blood volumes were greatest in highly vascularized and well perfused tissues and least in poorly vascularized tissues. The relative degree of vascularization among tissues generally remained the same regardless of whether the red cell or the plasma tracer was used to calculated blood volume. It is not clear whether the expanded plasma volume is the result of the distribution of erythrocyte-poor blood into the secondary circulation or the result of extravascular exchange of plasma proteins.

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry↗

USGS1987

Interactions among dietary minerals, arginine and lysine in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Studies were conducted to determine whether interactions occur among dietary lysine, arginine and monovalent minerals in rainbow trout. In one experiment, rainbow trout fingerlings were fed diets containing three levels of lysine (2.4, 3.1 and 3.8 g per 100 g diet), two levels of arginine (1.7 and 2.5 g per 100 g diet) and two mixtures of Na + K + and Cl in a 3×2×2 factorial design. The mixtures varied in the proportions of cations to anions such that Cl equalled the sum of Na + and K + (cations − anions = 0 mEq/kg diet) in one mixture and exceeded the sum of Na + and K + (cations − anions = −200 mEq/kg diet) in the second mixture. Growth and efficiency of feed conversion were not affected by dietary lysine and arginine in fish fed diets containing − 200 mEq/kg balance, but when fish were fed diets containing a 0 mEq/kg balance, 3.8% lysine and a combination of 3.1% lysine and 2.5% arginine depressed both measures of response. Trout receiving the 0 mEq/kg cation-anion balance had significantly higher free histidine concentrations and lower free lysine concentrations in muscle and higher hepatic arginase activity (P≤0.01) than those receiving −200 mEq/kg. In another experiment, trout were fed diets containing three levels of K + (21, 191 and 360 mEq/kg), two levels of Na + (21 and 191 mEq/kg) and two levels of Cl − (179 and 347 mEq/kg) in a 3×2×2 factorial design. Growth and efficiency of feed conversion were depressed and hepatosomatic index increased with higher levels of dietary K + (P≤0.01), Na + (P≤0.05) and Cl (P≤0.01), with significant K + x Cl + (P≤0.01) and K + x Na + x Cl (P≤0.05) interactions. Increasing dietary K + resulted in increased levels of muscle free histidine and decreased levels of muscle free lysine and arginine (P≤0.01), while increasing dietary Cl increased muscle free lysine, the effect of which was dependent on dietary potassium (K + x Cl − , P≤0.01). It is concluded that dietary levels of K + , Na + and Cl − , irrespective of overall cation-anion balance of these minerals, affects growth rate, efficiency of feed utilization and the metabolism of basic amino acids in tissues of trout. Excess lysine causes depressed growth and efficiency of feed utilization. These effects were due to a lysine toxicity rather than a lysine-arginine antagonism, as they were not prevented by supplemental dietary arginine.

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry↗

USGS2010

Hematocrit and plasma osmolality values of young-of-year shortnose sturgeon following acute exposures to combinations of salinity and temperature

Little is known about the physiological capabilities of young-of-year (YOY) shortnose sturgeon. In this study, plasma osmolality and hematocrit values were measured for YOY shortnose sturgeon following 48-h exposures to 12 different combinations of salinity and temperature. Hematocrit levels varied significantly with temperature and age, and plasma osmolalities varied significantly with salinity and age. Plasma osmolality and hematocrit values were similar to previously published values for other sturgeons of similar age and size in similar treatment conditions. ?? 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry↗

USGS2012

Molecular responses differ between sensitive silver carp and tolerant bighead carp and bigmouth buffalo exposed to rotenone

Some species of fish are more tolerant of rotenone, a commonly used non-specific piscicide, than others. This species-specific tolerance to rotenone has been thought to be associated with the uptake and the efficiency at which the chemical is detoxified. However, rotenone stimulates oxidative stress and superoxides, which are also toxic. Understanding the modes in which fish physiologically respond to rotenone is important in developing improved protocols for its application in controlling aquatic nuisance species. Using a molecular approach, we investigated the physiological and molecular mechanisms of rotenone resistance. Species-specific responses were observed when rotenone-sensitive silver, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, and both rotenone-resistant bighead carp, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, and bigmouth buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus, were exposed to rotenone. Rotenone levels in plasma were highest 90 min after exposure in both silver carp and bigmouth buffalo, but bigmouth buffalo tolerated over twice the burden (ng mL -1 g -1 ) than silver carp. Expression of genes related with detoxification ( cyp1a and gst ) increased in silver carp, but either decreased or remained the same in bighead carp. Genes linked with oxidative stress in the cytosol ( gpx , cat and sod1 ) and hsp70 increased only in silver carp after a 6-h exposure. Expression of genes associated with oxidative stress in the mitochondria ( sod2 and ucp2 ) differed between silver carp and bighead carp. Expression of sod2 changed minimally in bighead carp, but expression of ucp2 linearly increased to nearly 85-fold of the level prior to exposure. Expression of sod2 and ucp2 did not change until 6 h in silver carp. Use of sod1 and sod2 to combat oxidative stress results in hydrogen peroxide production, while use of ucp2 produces nitric oxide, a chemical known to inhibit apoptosis. We conclude that the mechanism at which a fish handles oxidative stress plays an important role in the tolerance to rotenone.

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry↗