Abstract
We investigated possible biochemical pathways explaining extreme ammonia tolerance by the gulf toadfish and specifically tested the prediction that the gulf toadfish Opsanus beta is more tolerant than the plainfin midshipman Porichthys notatus, two confamilial species, because it reverses brain glutamine accumulation during high ammonia exposure. This prediction stems from previous studies demonstrating that gulf toadfish produce urea from glutamine, a pathway not present in the ammoniotelic midshipman. Our results show that at the same water NH3concentration, ammonia increases more from control levels in brains of midshipman than toadfish. After 48 h of exposure to 50% of their respective LC50 (96 h) value for ammonia, toadfish are able to return the ammonia-induced increase in brain glutamine back to control values, reducing brain glutamine by 2, 500 μmol kg-1. However, in midshipman, brain glutamine remains significantly elevated from control throughout the experiment. Toadfish exposed to 33% of their LC50(96 h) showed an initial increase in whole body urea, which is then reduced at a rate of 104 μmol kg fish-1 h-1 and could be directly excreted into the water. We discuss how the special handling of glutamine in toadfish may explain in part their great tolerance to ammonia.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 345-352 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Physiological and Biochemical Zoology |
| Volume | 82 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Effect of elevated ammonia on tissue nitrogen metabolites in the ureotelic gulf toadfish (opsanus beta) and the ammoniotelic midshipman (porichthys notatus). / Veauvy, C. M.; Walsh, Patrick J.; Mcdonald, Danielle M.
In: Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Vol. 82, No. 4, 01.07.2009, p. 345-352.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of elevated ammonia on tissue nitrogen metabolites in the ureotelic gulf toadfish (opsanus beta) and the ammoniotelic midshipman (porichthys notatus)
AU - Veauvy, C. M.
AU - Walsh, Patrick J.
AU - Mcdonald, Danielle M
PY - 2009/7/1
Y1 - 2009/7/1
N2 - We investigated possible biochemical pathways explaining extreme ammonia tolerance by the gulf toadfish and specifically tested the prediction that the gulf toadfish Opsanus beta is more tolerant than the plainfin midshipman Porichthys notatus, two confamilial species, because it reverses brain glutamine accumulation during high ammonia exposure. This prediction stems from previous studies demonstrating that gulf toadfish produce urea from glutamine, a pathway not present in the ammoniotelic midshipman. Our results show that at the same water NH3concentration, ammonia increases more from control levels in brains of midshipman than toadfish. After 48 h of exposure to 50% of their respective LC50 (96 h) value for ammonia, toadfish are able to return the ammonia-induced increase in brain glutamine back to control values, reducing brain glutamine by 2, 500 μmol kg-1. However, in midshipman, brain glutamine remains significantly elevated from control throughout the experiment. Toadfish exposed to 33% of their LC50(96 h) showed an initial increase in whole body urea, which is then reduced at a rate of 104 μmol kg fish-1 h-1 and could be directly excreted into the water. We discuss how the special handling of glutamine in toadfish may explain in part their great tolerance to ammonia.
AB - We investigated possible biochemical pathways explaining extreme ammonia tolerance by the gulf toadfish and specifically tested the prediction that the gulf toadfish Opsanus beta is more tolerant than the plainfin midshipman Porichthys notatus, two confamilial species, because it reverses brain glutamine accumulation during high ammonia exposure. This prediction stems from previous studies demonstrating that gulf toadfish produce urea from glutamine, a pathway not present in the ammoniotelic midshipman. Our results show that at the same water NH3concentration, ammonia increases more from control levels in brains of midshipman than toadfish. After 48 h of exposure to 50% of their respective LC50 (96 h) value for ammonia, toadfish are able to return the ammonia-induced increase in brain glutamine back to control values, reducing brain glutamine by 2, 500 μmol kg-1. However, in midshipman, brain glutamine remains significantly elevated from control throughout the experiment. Toadfish exposed to 33% of their LC50(96 h) showed an initial increase in whole body urea, which is then reduced at a rate of 104 μmol kg fish-1 h-1 and could be directly excreted into the water. We discuss how the special handling of glutamine in toadfish may explain in part their great tolerance to ammonia.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=69149086831&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=69149086831&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/588829
DO - 10.1086/588829
M3 - Article
C2 - 19072135
AN - SCOPUS:69149086831
VL - 82
SP - 345
EP - 352
JO - Physiological and Biochemical Zoology
JF - Physiological and Biochemical Zoology
SN - 1522-2152
IS - 4
ER -