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Salinity regulates N-methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine in euryhaline crustaceans hepatopancreas and exchange of newly-formed phosphatidylcholine with hemolymph

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Abstract

Phosphatidylcholine (PC), the main phospholipid in eukaryotes, is synthesized via two different routes, the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyl transferase (PEMT) and the CDP-choline pathways. We previously showed in euryhaline fish that salinity impacts the relative contribution of the two pathways for PC biosynthesis, with PEMT pathway being activated in the liver of sea water (SW)-adapted animals. To address the occurrence of such phenomenon in other animals we performed in vivo metabolic studies in two crustacean species: the Chinese crab (Eriocheir sinensis) and the green crab (Carcinus maenas). In both species, the levels of PC and phosphatidylethanolamine in hepatopancreas and hemolymph were not modified by SW-adaptation. In E. sinensis, SW-adaptation activated PC labeling from l-(U-14C)-serine in the hepatopancreas and resulted in an increased ratio of PC specific activities between hemolymph and hepatopancreas. In C. maenas, incorporation of l-(3-3H)-serine and l-(2-14C)-ethanolamine into PC of hepatopancreas was strongly inhibited after acclimation to fresh water (FW). The results show that PC synthesis via the PEMT pathway and its subsequent release into hemolymph are both activated in SW- compared to FW-adapted animals. SW-adaptation also resulted in increased tissue concentrations of betaine and labeling from l-(U-14C)-serine, suggesting that the PEMT-derived PC is used for the synthesis of organic osmolytes. The physiological relevance of these observations is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Lyon, Lyon, 69003, France

    Ahmed Athamena, Gérard Brichon, Selena Trajkovic-Bodennec, Serge Chapelle, Jacques Bodennec & Georges Zwingelstein

  2. Laboratoire Maritime de Physiologie, Institut Michel Pacha, Université Lyon 1, 83500, La Seyne sur Mer, France

    Ahmed Athamena, Gérard Brichon, Selena Trajkovic-Bodennec, Serge Chapelle & Georges Zwingelstein

  3. UMR CNRS 5123, Laboratoire de Physiologie Intégrative Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bât. R. Dubois, 1er étage, 43 bvd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France

    Ahmed Athamena & Jacques Bodennec

  4. Institut de Zoologie, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium

    André Péqueux

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  1. Ahmed Athamena
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  2. Gérard Brichon
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  3. Selena Trajkovic-Bodennec
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  4. André Péqueux
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  5. Serge Chapelle
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  6. Jacques Bodennec
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  7. Georges Zwingelstein
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Correspondence to Jacques Bodennec.

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Communicated by G. Heldmaier.

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Athamena, A., Brichon, G., Trajkovic-Bodennec, S. et al. Salinity regulates N-methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine in euryhaline crustaceans hepatopancreas and exchange of newly-formed phosphatidylcholine with hemolymph. J Comp Physiol B 181, 731–740 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-011-0562-6

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