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Carbon dioxide excretion and carbonic anhydrase function in the Red Rock CrabCancer productus

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Summary

The function of carbonic anhydrase (CA) in the Red Rock Crab,Cancer productus Randall, was investigated. CA activity was found to varying degrees in the gills and many other tissues but not in hemolymph. Crabs injected with acetazolamide, a specific CA inhibitor, demonstrated a significant hemolymph acidosis. Hemolymph CO2 tension (\(Pa_{CO_2 }\)) and CO2 content (\(Ca_{CO_2 }\)) also increased and remained significantly elevated for 96 h following treatment. No significant changes could be detected in either hemolymph oxygenation or ionic status (except for HCO −3 ) as a result of acetazolamide treatment. Crabs treated with acetazolamide, and also exposed to air, exhibited a more pronounced hemolymph acidosis with significantly increased respiratory (\(P_{CO_2 }\)) and metabolic (lactate) components compared with the control group. Upon reimmersion acetazolamide treated crabs showed a slower recovery of hemolymph pH compared with the control group and no significant removal of the total CO2 load induced by air exposure. No significant differences between experimental and control groups during air exposure and recovery could be detected in hemolymph oxygenation, ionic status, NH3+NH +4 levels or respiratory and cardiac pumping frequency and so the effects of acetazolamide treatment were apparently limited to CO2 removal across the gills. These results indicate that branchial CA facilitates the removal of CO2 from the hemolymph of SW adaptedC. productus largely by catalyzing the dehydration of hemolymph HCO −3 to molecular CO2 at the gill. It is also recognized that gill CA may also serve to hydrate molecular CO2 to H+ and HCO3/− for use as counterions for ionic uptake mechanisms. Crab gill CA thus appears to play an important role in CO2 excretion as well as hemolymph ionic regulation.

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Author notes

  1. B. R. McMahon

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of Calgary, T2N 1N4, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

  2. L. E. Burnett

    Present address: Department of Biology, University of San Diego, Alcala Park, 92110, San Diego, CA, USA

  3. P. L. de Fur

    Present address: Department of Biology, George Mason University, 22030, Fairfax, VA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bamfield Marine Station, VOR 1BO, Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada

    B. R. McMahon, L. E. Burnett & P. L. de Fur

  2. Department of Biology, University of Calgary and University of San Diego, San Diego, USA

    B. R. McMahon, L. E. Burnett & P. L. de Fur

Authors
  1. B. R. McMahon
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  2. L. E. Burnett
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  3. P. L. de Fur
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McMahon, B.R., Burnett, L.E. & de Fur, P.L. Carbon dioxide excretion and carbonic anhydrase function in the Red Rock CrabCancer productus . J Comp Physiol B 154, 371–383 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00684444

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