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Mitochondrial energetics of benthic and pelagic Antarctic teleosts

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Abstract

Antarctic fauna are highly adapted to the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. This study describes the in vitro temperature sensitivity of oxygen consumption rates measured in liver mitochondria from the pelagic notothenioid Pleuragramma antarcticum between 5 and 35 °C. Oxygen fluxes were measured after the addition of millimolar levels of pyruvate, malate, succinate and glutamate (state II, LEAK) and saturating levels of ADP [state III, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)]. State III respiration significantly decreased above 18.7 °C. A comparison of the oxidative capacities among P. antarcticum and other notothenioids showed significant differences in state III respiration, where benthic species exhibited about 50 % lower rates than P. antarcticum. In addition, state III respiration rates normalized per milligram of mitochondrial protein of P. antarcticum were up to eight times higher than state III rates reported in the literature for other notothenioids. The comparatively high respiration rates measured in this study may be explained by our approach, which engaged both complexes I and II under conditions of oxidative phosphorylation. State III rates of independently activated complexes I and II were found to range from 42 to 100 % of rates obtained when both complexes were activated simultaneously in the same species. The remarkable tolerance of P. antarcticum OXPHOS toward warmer temperatures was unexpected for an Antarctic stenotherm and may indicate that thermal sensitivity of their mitochondria is not the driving force behind their stenothermy.

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Acknowledgments

The authors of this manuscript would like to thank all crew members and members of the science party aboard the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer (Cruise B-258-N) who assisted in the specimen collection. We would also like to thank Dr. Arthur L. DeVries for providing N. coriiceps specimens. This project was funded by NSF-0741348 awarded to Dr. Joseph J. Torres.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 140 7th Ave South, Saint Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Eloy Martinez & Joseph J. Torres

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, 61920, USA

    Michael A. Menze

Authors
  1. Eloy Martinez
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  2. Michael A. Menze
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  3. Joseph J. Torres
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Correspondence to Eloy Martinez or Michael A. Menze.

Additional information

Communicated by H.-O. Pörtner.

Eloy Martinez and Michael A. Menze contributed equally to this work.

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Martinez, E., Menze, M.A. & Torres, J.J. Mitochondrial energetics of benthic and pelagic Antarctic teleosts. Mar Biol 160, 2813–2823 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2273-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2273-x

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