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Microscale variation in Aat (aspartate aminotransferase) is supported by activity differences between upper and lower shore allozymes of Littorina saxatilis

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Abstract

The role of natural selection in maintaining inherited variation in morphological characters is indisputable. In contrast, genetic variation in allozyme loci is mostly assumed neutral or under weak selection, although enzyme functions are critical to central metabolic processes. A locus coding for aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) is polymorphic with two alleles in the rocky shore gastropod Littorina saxatilis. One allele (Aat 120) is most frequent (0.8–0.9) in upper shore subpopulations, while the other (Aat 100) dominates (0.7–0.8) lower shore subpopulations only meters below. Earlier studies show this variation to be maintained by divergent selection, but the mechanism is unknown. We measured enzyme activities in AAT extracts from individuals of known Aat genotype in populations from two islands and at three different temperatures. In all treatments lower shore homozygotes (Aat 100/100) had higher enzyme activity than upper shore homozygotes (Aat 120/120), with heterozygotes having intermediate levels of activity. AAT has a central role in anaerobic energy production in marine mollusks during low-tide periods of emergence, and it might appear surprising that upper shore snails, which are most likely to be emerged, have lower enzyme activity. However, upper shore snails are forced to survive long periods of desiccation, and a low metabolic rate will help to conserve limited resources of energy and nutrients and reduce accumulation of waste products.

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  1. Department of Marine Ecology, Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory, Göteborg University, 452 96, Strömstad, Sweden

    M. Panova & K. Johannesson

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  1. M. Panova
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  2. K. Johannesson
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Correspondence to M. Panova.

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Communicated by L. Hagerman, Helsingør

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Panova, M., Johannesson, K. Microscale variation in Aat (aspartate aminotransferase) is supported by activity differences between upper and lower shore allozymes of Littorina saxatilis . Marine Biology 144, 1157–1164 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1274-6

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