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Gymnocypris przewalskii decreases cytosolic carbonic anhydrase expression to compensate for respiratory alkalosis and osmoregulation in the saline-alkaline lake Qinghai

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Abstract

Naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii), endemic to the saline-alkaline Lake Qinghai, have the capacity to tolerate combined high salinity and alkalinity, but migrate to spawn in freshwater rivers each year. In this study, the full-length cDNA of the cytosolic carbonic anhydrase c isoform of G. przewalskii (GpCAc) was amplified and sequenced; mRNA levels and enzyme activity of GpCAc and blood chemistry were evaluated to understand the compensatory responses as the naked carp returned to the saline-alkaline lake after spawning. We found that GpCAc had a total length of 1400 bp and encodes a peptide of 260 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences and phylogenetic analysis showed that GpCAc was a member of the cytosolic carbonic anhydrase II-like c family. Cytosolic-carbonic-anhydrase-c-specific primers were used to analyze the tissue distribution of GpCAc mRNA expression. Expression of GpCAc mRNA was found in brain, gill, liver, kidney, gut, and muscle tissues, but primarily in the gill and posterior kidney; however, none was evident in red blood cells. Transferring fish from river water to lake water resulted in a respiratory alkalosis, osmolality, and ion rise in the blood, as well as significant decreases in the expression and enzyme activity of GpCAc in both the gill and kidney within 96 h. These results indicate that GpCAc may play an important role in the acclimation to both high salinity and carbonate alkalinity. Specifically, G. przewalskii decreases cytosolic carbonic anhydrase c expression to compensate for a respiratory alkalosis and to aid in osmoregulation during the transition from river to saline-alkaline lake.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Special Scientific Research Funds for Central Non-profit Institutes (East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute) (No. 2012M05) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31440088). We would like to thank Dr. Edward Mager and Dr. Martin Grosell for their insightful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. We would also like to thank Dr. Katie Gilmour for providing perfusion methods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Research Center for Saline-alkaline Fisheries, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Shanghai, 20090, China

    Zongli Yao, Wenfei Guo, Qifang Lai, Kai Zhou, Tingting Lin, Ziniu Li & Hui Wang

  2. Rescue Center for Naked Carp of Lake Qinghai, Xining, 810016, Qinghai, China

    Jianquan Shi & Hongfang Qi

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  1. Zongli Yao
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  2. Wenfei Guo
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Correspondence to Zongli Yao or Qifang Lai.

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Yao, Z., Guo, W., Lai, Q. et al. Gymnocypris przewalskii decreases cytosolic carbonic anhydrase expression to compensate for respiratory alkalosis and osmoregulation in the saline-alkaline lake Qinghai. J Comp Physiol B 186, 83–95 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-015-0939-z

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