Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of habitat temperature on serum antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) activity in Notothenia rossii (Pisces: Nototheniidae) in the Southern Ocean

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The marble notothen, Notothenia rossii, is widely distributed around the waters of sub-Antarctic islands in the Southern Ocean and is exposed to different temperatures that range from −1.5 to 8 °C. This study investigates whether the different environmental conditions experienced by N. rossii at different latitudes in the Southern Ocean affect the levels of its blood serum antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP). N. rossii specimens were collected from four localities, including the Ob’ Seamount in the Indian Ocean sector, and South Georgia Island, South Shetland Islands and Dallman Bay in the Atlantic Ocean sector. Serum AFGP activity was determined in terms of thermal hysteresis, i.e. the difference between the equilibrium melting and non-equilibrium freezing points (f.p.s.). Among the four populations, the Ob’ Seamount specimen had the lowest serum AFGP activity (0.44 °C) and concentration (4.88 mg/mL), and the highest non-equilibrium f.p. (−1.39 °C). These results are consistent with the warmer, ice-free waters around the Ob’ Seamount. The other three higher latitude populations have 2–3 times greater serum AFGP activity and concentration, and much lower non-equilibrium f.p.s. In contrast, the physiological profiles of serum AFGP size isoforms revealed that all N. rossii populations, including the Ob’ Seamount specimen, possess an extensive complements of AFGP proteins. Isoform variation was observed, especially in the large size isoforms (AFGPs 1–5), when compared to AFGP of the high Antarctic Dissostichus mawsoni. The lower levels of AFGP and the absence of some of the large isoforms are likely responsible for higher non-equilibrium f.p.s. of the Ob’ seamount specimen.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahlgren JA, DeVries AL (1984) Comparison of antifreeze glycopeptides from several Antarctic fishes. Polar Biol 3:93–97

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ansorge IJ, Roman R, Durgadoo JV, Ryan PG, Dlamini L, Gebhardt Z, Rainier S, Smith M, Mtonsti T, Lutjeharms JRE (2008) The first oceanographic survey of the Conrad rise. S Afr J Sci 104:333–336

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes DKA, Fuenets V, Clarke A, Schloss IR, Wallace MI (2006) Spatial and temporal variation in shallow seawater temperatures around Antarctica. Deep Sea Res II 53:853–865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilyk KT, DeVries AL (2010a) Freezing avoidance of the Antarctic icefishes (Channichthyidae) across thermal gradients on the Southern Ocean. Polar Biol 33:203–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilyk KT, DeVries AL (2010b) Delayed onset of adult antifreeze activity in juveniles of the Antarctic icefish Chaenocephalus aceratus. Polar Biol 33:1387–1397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Black VS (1951) Some aspects of the physiology of fish. II. Osmotic regulation in teleost fishes. Univ Toronto Stud Biol Ser 59(71):53–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchett MS, Ricketts C (1984) The population dynamics of Notothenia rossii from South Georgia (Antarctica). Polar Biol 3:35–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L, DeVries AL, Cheng C-HC (1997) Evolution of antifreeze glycoprotein gene from trypsinogen gene in the Antarctic notothenioid fish. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:3811–3816

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng C-HC, Chen L, Near TJ, Jin Y (2003) Functional antifreeze glycoprotein genes in temperate-water New Zealand Notothenioid fish infer an Antarctic origin. Mol Biol Evol 20:1897–1909

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeVries AL (1971) Glycoprotein as biological antifreeze agents in Antarctic fishes. Science 172:1152–1155

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeVries AL (1988) The role of glycopeptide and peptide antifreeze in the freezing avoidance of Antarctic fishes. Comp Biochem Physiol 90B:611–621

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DeVries AL, Cheng C-HC (2005) Antifreeze proteins and organismal freezing avoidance in polar fishes. In: Farrell AP, Steffensen JF (eds) Fish physiology, vol 22. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 155–201

    Google Scholar 

  • DeVries AL, Komatsu SK, Feeney RE (1970) Chemical and physical properties of freezing point-depressing glycoproteins from the Antarctic fishes. J Biol Chem 245:2901–2908

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeWitt HH, Heemstra PC, Gon O (1990) Nototheniidae. In: Gon O, Heemstra PC (eds) Fishes of the Southern Ocean. JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown, pp 279–331

    Google Scholar 

  • Eastman JT (1993) Antarctic fish biology. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Eastman JT (2005) The nature of biodiversity of Antarctic fishes. Polar Biol 28:94–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gon O, Klages N (1988) The marine fish fauna of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. S Afr J Antarct Res 18:32–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Gon O, Mostert D (1992) Aspects of the ecology of two nototheniid fish species in the inshore zone of the sub-Antarctic Marion Island. S Afr J Antarct Res 22:59–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Jin Y, DeVries AL (2006) Antifreeze glycoprotein levels in Antarctic notothenioid fishes inhabiting different thermal environment and the effects of warm acclimation. Comp Biochem Physiol 144B:290–300

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kennett JP (1982) Marine geology. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Knox GA (2007) Biology of the Southern Ocean, 2nd edn. University of Canterbury, Christchurch

    Google Scholar 

  • Morley SA, Griffiths HJ, Barnes DKA, Peck LS (2010) South Georgia: a key location for linking physiological capacity to distributional changes in response to climate change. Antarct Sci 22:774–7781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy EJ, Hofmann EE, Watkins JL, Johnston NM, Pinones A, Ballerini T, Hill SL, Trathan PN, Tarling GA, Cavanagh RR, Young EF, Thorpe SE, Fretwell P (2013) Comparison of the structure and function of the Southern Ocean regional ecosystems: The Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. J Mar Syst 109–110:22–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naganobu M, Katayama T, Ichii T, Ishii H, Nasu K (1993) Characteristics of oceanic structure in the waters around the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Ocean between December 1990 and February 1991: outstanding coastal upwelling? Proc NIPR Symp Polar Biol 6:166–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Near TJ, Dornburg A, Kuhn KL, Eastman JT, Pennington JN, Patarnello T, Zane L, Fernandez D, Jones CD (2012) Ancient climate change, antifreeze and the evolutionary diversification of Antarctic fishes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109:3434–3439

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nybelin O (1947) Antarctic fishes. Sci Res Norwegian Antarct Exped 1927–1928 26:1–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Nybelin O (1951) Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic fishes. Sci Res “Brategg” Exped 1947/48 2:1–32

  • Petricorena ZLC, Somero GN (2007) Biochemical adaptations of notothenioid fishes: comparisons between cold temperate South American and New Zealand species and Antarctic species. Comp Biochem Physiol A 147:799–807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramer JC, MacWilliams P, Pual-Murphy J (1995) Effects of hemolysis and frozen storage on serum electrolyte and chemistry values in cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus). J Zoo Wildl Med 26:61–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Raymond JA, DeVries A (1977) Adsorption inhibition as a mechanism of freezing resistance in polar fishes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:2589–2593

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutschmann SA, Matschiner M, Damerau M, Muschick M, Lehmann MF, Hanel R, Salzburger W (2011) Parallel ecological diversification in Antarctic notothenioid fishes as evidence for adaptive radiation. Mol Ecol 20:4707–4721

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stankovic A, Spalik K, Kamler E, Borsuk P, Welfenski P (2002) Recent origin of sub-Antarctic notothenioids. Polar Biol 25:203–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Tankevich PB (1994) Growth and age of Antarctic cod, Notothenia rossii rossii, on the Ob bank (Indian Ocean Sector of Antarctica). J Ichthyol 34(4):66–71

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the crew of the Shinsei Maru 3 (2010) and David Japp and Christopher Heinecken of CapFish CC, Cape town, for donating the Ob’ Seamount specimen, and Eric Anderson who was part of the ICEFISH 2004 cruise. We are indebted to our late colleague Bruce Sidell for the South Georgia Island N. rossii samples he collected on the ICEFISH2004 cruise headed by H. William Detrich and funded by US NSF Office of Polar Programs award OPP-0132032. Additional gratitude goes to Arthur DeVries for providing us with more data and Kevin Bilyk for the assistance he provided. This work is based on research supported by the South African National Antarctic Program/National Research Foundation (SANAP/NRF) Grant SNA 2006042100003 to Ofer Gon, and USNSF-OPP Grants ANT 0636696 and ANT 1142158 to Chi-Hing Christina Cheng.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries, Rhodes University, 9 Somerset Street, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Tshoanelo Miya

  2. South African Instituted for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown, South Africa

    Tshoanelo Miya, Ofer Gon & Monica Mwale

  3. Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA

    C.-H. Christina Cheng

Authors
  1. Tshoanelo Miya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ofer Gon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Monica Mwale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C.-H. Christina Cheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tshoanelo Miya.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Miya, T., Gon, O., Mwale, M. et al. The effect of habitat temperature on serum antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) activity in Notothenia rossii (Pisces: Nototheniidae) in the Southern Ocean. Polar Biol 37, 367–373 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1437-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1437-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation