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Modulation of branchial ion transport protein expression by salinity in glass eels (Anguilla anguilla L.)

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Abstract

The Anguillid juvenile glass eel must deal with the osmoregulatory consequences of highly variable environmental salinities on its recruitment migration from coastal to fresh waters. Changes in ionoregulatory parameters and branchial ion transport protein [Na+/K+-ATPase, Na+:K+:2Cl− cotransporter (NKCC), cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) anion channel, V-type proton ATPase] expression (activities, protein and/or mRNA level expression and/or cellular localization) in response to acclimation to a broad range of ionic strengths [distilled water (DW) to hypersaline water (HSW; 150%) sea water (SW 32‰)] was studied. The estuarine glass eels were very euryhaline and successfully acclimated to acute changes in environmental ionic strength from 50% SW, with high mortality only observed in HSW (51%) and sublethal osmoregulatory indicators (whole body water content and sodium levels) disturbed at the extremes (DW and HSW). Central to a high salinity acclimation were elevated branchial Na+/K+-ATPase, NKCC and CFTR expression. At lower salinity, Na+/K+-ATPase expression was maintained and NKCC and CFTR expressions were reduced. Branchial chloride cells increased in size up to SW but decreased in HSW. During hypotonic disturbance (DW), no compensatory elevation in V-ATPase or Na+/K+-ATPase expression was observed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) PRAXIS XXI grant (POCTI/34164/1999). JMW was also supported by PDF grants from FCT and NSERC-Canada. We would like to thank Drs M.A. Reis Henriques, and L. Guilhermino (CIIMAR) for use of equipment and lab space and our fisherman Eduardo Martins.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Ecofisiologia, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR), Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

    Jonathan Mark Wilson, Patrick Reis-Santos, Ana-Violeta Fonseca, Joana Moreira da Silva, José Carlos Antunes & João Coimbra

  2. Dept. Biologia, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4700, Braga, Portugal

    Alexandre Leitão, Ana Filipa Gonçalves, Catarina Ferreira & Cristina Pereira-Wilson

  3. Institute de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

    José Carlos Antunes & João Coimbra

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  1. Jonathan Mark Wilson
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  2. Alexandre Leitão
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Correspondence to Jonathan Mark Wilson.

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Communicated by S.A. Poulet, Roscoff.

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Wilson, J.M., Leitão, A., Gonçalves, A.F. et al. Modulation of branchial ion transport protein expression by salinity in glass eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) . Mar Biol 151, 1633–1645 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-006-0579-7

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