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Changes of hemoglobin expression in response to hypoxia in a Tibetan schizothoracine fish, Schizopygopsis pylzovi

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Abstract

Fishes endemic to the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are comparatively well adapted to aquatic environments with low oxygen partial pressures (hypoxia). Here, we cloned the complete cDNA of hemoglobin (Hb) α and β from the Tibetan schizothoracine fish Schizopygopsis pylzovi, and then investigated changes in Hb mRNA and protein levels in spleen, liver and kidney in response to hypoxia. We applied severe hypoxia (4 h at PO2 = 0.6 kPa) and moderate hypoxia (72 h at PO2 = 6.0 kPa) to adult S. pylzovi. Changes of Hb expression under hypoxia, together with the investigations of spleen somatic index, kidney somatic index and Hb concentration in circulation, suggest that the kidney may not only serve as the erythropoietic organ, but also act as the major blood reservoir in S. pylzovi. From this perspective, the transcriptional activity of Hb in S. pylzovi, as reflected in the kidney, was turned down quickly after the onset of severe hypoxia, while under moderate hypoxia the transcriptional activity of Hb showed upregulation for a short time, but then the transcriptional machinery was turned down slowly on prolonged exposure. Notably, the changes in Hb protein levels in spleen, liver and kidney in response to severe and moderate hypoxia were not in line with the changes in mRNA levels, which are related with the blood reservoir in the kidney. Tibetan schizothoracine fish, at least S. pylzovi, show a particular response of the transcription regulation of Hb to moderate hypoxia, which is different from that of other fish species.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31460094]; and the Natural Science Foundation of Qinghai Science & Technology Department in China [2015-ZJ-901]. We would like to thank the native English speaking scientists of Elixigen Company (Huntington Beach, California) for editing our manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, China

    Mingzhe Xia, Yan Chao, Changzhong Li, Yongli Zhao & Delin Qi

  2. College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, China

    Mingzhe Xia, Changzhong Li, Yongli Zhao & Delin Qi

  3. Animal Science Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, China

    Mingzhe Xia, Yan Chao, Jianlei Jia, Qinghui Kong & Yongli Zhao

  4. Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China

    Songchang Guo

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  1. Mingzhe Xia
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Correspondence to Songchang Guo or Delin Qi.

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Communicated by H.V. Carey.

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Xia, M., Chao, Y., Jia, J. et al. Changes of hemoglobin expression in response to hypoxia in a Tibetan schizothoracine fish, Schizopygopsis pylzovi . J Comp Physiol B 186, 1033–1043 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-016-1013-1

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