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Pseudobranch mimics gill in expressing Na+K+-ATPase 1 α-subunit and carbonic anhydrase in concert with H+-ATPase in adult hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) during river migration

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Abstract

In hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha), pseudobranch comprises a row of parallel filaments bear numerous leaf-like lamellae arranged on both sides throughout its length. The purpose of this study was to elucidate involvement of pseudobranchial Na+, K+-ATPase (NKA) 1 α-subunit, and carbonic anhydrase (CA) in concert with H+-ATPase (HAT) compared to their branchial counterparts in freshwater acclimation of hilsa during spawning migration from off-shore of the Bay of Bengal to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly zones of the Ganga river system in India. Adult hilsa fish were collected from seawater (SW), freshwater 1 (FW1), and freshwater 2 (FW2) locations, where the salinity level was 26–28‰, 1–5‰, and 0–0.04‰, respectively. Hilsa migrating through freshwater showed a consistent decrease in the plasma osmolality, sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) ion levels indicates unstable ionic homeostasis. The mRNA expression and activity of NKA 1 α-subunit in pseudobranch as well as in true gills declined with the migration to upstream locations. The pseudobranchial CA activity almost mirrors its branchial counterpart most notably while hilsa entered the freshwater zone, in the upstream river suggesting its diverse role in hypo-osmotic regulatory acclimation. Nevertheless, the H+-ATPase activity of both the tissues increased with the freshwater entry and remained similar during up-river movement into the freshwater environment. The results confirm that the pseudobranchial NKA 1 α-subunit mRNA expression and activity mimic its branchial counterpart in the process of ionoregulatory acclimation during migration through salt barriers. Also, the increase in the activities of pseudobranchial and branchial CA in concert with H+-ATPase (HAT) during freshwater acclimation of hilsa suggests their critical involvement in ion uptake.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Dr Gopal Krishna, Director and Vice-chancellor, Indian Council of Agricultural Research- Central Institute of Fisheries Education (ICAR-CIFE), Mumbai, for providing facilities. We thank Mr Saumya Kanti Ray and Ms Soumi Dutta, research fellow, NASF project for assistance in fish capturing and sampling. The first author acknowledges Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi for the Masters’ fellowship at ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai.

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  1. Fish Nutrition, Biochemistry and Physiology Division, ICAR- Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Mumbai, 400 061, India

    Munish Kumar, Tincy Varghese, Narottam Prasad Sahu & Gyandeep Gupta

  2. ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, 32 GN Block, Sector V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700 091, India

    Subrata Dasgupta

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  1. Munish Kumar
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Kumar, M., Varghese, T., Sahu, N. et al. Pseudobranch mimics gill in expressing Na+K+-ATPase 1 α-subunit and carbonic anhydrase in concert with H+-ATPase in adult hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) during river migration. Fish Physiol Biochem 46, 725–738 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-019-00746-y

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