Abstract
Eel gill lipids were labelled in vivo with (32P) phosphate and (14C) acetate as precursors added to the water in the incubation tank. We compared the transfer of fish from brackish water (BW) to fresh water (FW) and also the transfer from sea water (SW) to FW, with the corresponding transfer from FW to demineralised FW (soft fresh water, SFW). Results show a common (32P) phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) dominated phospholipid incorporation pattern at steady state, whatever environmental salinity the eels are adapted to, be it SW, BW, FW or finally after about a week in SFW. A deviation from any established steady state, by lowering the environmental salinity, leads to a temporary loss of the (32P) PE dominated pattern and this applies equally, whether fish are transferred from a hyper/iso- to a hypo-osmotic medium, or remain in a hypo-osmotic medium. After about 1 week in the transfer media, the original (32P) PE dominated phospholipid pattern is restored. The concomitant incorporation of (14C) acetate into eel gill phospholipids is not affected by the induced environmental changes. It shows a (14C) phosphatidylcholine dominated incorporation pattern throughout.
Similar content being viewed by others
![](https://media.springernature.com/w215h120/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1134%2FS0032945223030165/MediaObjects/11489_2023_11621_Fig1_HTML.png)
References
Aloia, R.C. (ed.) 1983. Membrane Fluidity in Biology. Vols. I-IV, Academic Press, New York. 000 pp.
Bazzi, M.D., M.A. Youakim & G.L. Nelsestuen. 1992. Importance of phosphatidylethanolamine for association of protein kinase C and other cytoplasmic proteins with membranes. Biochemistry 31: 1125-1134.
Bienvenue, A. & J.S. Marie. 1994. Modulation of protein function by lipids. Curr. Top. Membr. 40: 319-354.
Bøtter-Jensen, L., H.J.M. Hansen & P. Theodorsson. 1977. A multicounter system for scanning ultra-low-level radio-chromatograms. Nucl. Instrum. Methods 144: 529-532.
Chapelle, S. & G. Zwingelstein. 1984. Phospholipid composition and metabolism of crustacean gills as related to changes in environmental salinities: Relationship between Na+-K+-ATPase activity and phospholipids. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 78B: 363-372.
Crockett, E.L. 1999. Lipid restructuring does not contribute to elevated activities of Na+/K+-ATPase in basolateral membranes from the gill of seawater acclimated eel (Anguilla rostrata). J. Exp. Biol. 202: 2385-2392.
De Kruijff, B. 1997. Lipids beyond the bilayer. Nature 386: 129-130.
Deuticke, B. & C.W.M. Haest. 1987. Lipid modulation of transport proteins in vertebrate cell membranes. Annu. Rev. Physiol. 49: 221-235.
Folch, J., M. Lees & G.H. Sloane-Stanley. 1957. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues. J. Biol. Chem. 226: 497-509.
Grinstein, S., D. Rotin & J.M. Mason. 1989. Na+/H+ exchange and growth factor induced cytosolic pH changes. Role in cellular proliferation. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 988: 73-97.
Hansen, H.J.M. 1969. Quantitative paper chromatography of 14C-labelled long-chain fatty acids. Risø report No. 210, Danish Atomic Energy Commission, Roskilde. 59 pp.
Hansen, H.J.M. 1987. Comparative studies on lipid metabolism in various salt transporting organs of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Monounsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine as a key substance. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 88B: 323-332.
Hansen, H.J.M. & S. Abraham. 1979. The influence of environmental salinity, temperature, ionizing irradiation and yellow or silver stage on lipid metabolism in the gills of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 63B: 483-490.
Hansen, H.J.M. & S. Abraham. 1983. Influence of temperature, environmental salinity and fasting on the patterns of fatty acids synthesized by gills and liver of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 75B: 581-587.
Hansen, H.J.M., M. Grosell & L. Kristensen. 2003. Batch Variation Between Branchial Cell Cultures: An Analysis of Variance. Risø-R-1384 (EN), Risø National Laboratory, Roskilde. 20 pp.
Hansen, H.J.M., M. Grosell & P. Rosenkilde. 1999. Gill lipid metabolism and unidirectional Na+ flux in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) after transfer to dilute media: The formation of wax alcohols as a primary response. Aquaculture 177: 277-283.
Hansen, H.J.M., S.P. Kelly, M. Grosell & C.M. Wood. 2002. Studies on lipid metabolism in trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) branchial cultures. J. Exp. Zool. 293: 683-692.
Hansen, H.J.M., A.G. Olsen & P. Rosenkilde. 1992. Comparative studies on lipid metabolism in salt-transporting organs of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss W.). Further evidence of mono-unsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine as a key substance. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 103B: 81-87.
Hansen, H.J.M., A.G. Olsen & P. Rosenkilde. 1995. Formation of phosphatidylethanolamine as a putative regulator of salt transport in the gills and esophagus of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 112B: 161-167.
Hansen, H.J.M., A.G. Olsen & N.S. Willumsen. 1994. The influence of ambient salinity and temperature on lipid metabolism in toad (Bufo bufo) skin. Is hosphatidylethanolamine an endogenous regulator of ion channels? Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 108A: 599-608.
Kinnunen, K.J. & O.G. Mouritsen (ed.). 1994. Functional dynamics of lipids in biomembranes. Chem. Phys. Lipids 73: 1-235.
Knowles, A.F. & E. Hacker. 1975. Properties of a reconstituted calcium pump. J. Biol. Chem. 250: 3538-3544.
Paller, M.S. 1994. Lateral mobility of Na, K-ATPase and membrane lipids in renal cells. Importance of cytoskeletal integrity. J. Membr. Biol. 142: 127-135.
Perry, S.F. & P. Laurent. 1989. Adaptational responses of rainbow trout to lowered external NaCl concentration: Contribution of the branchial chloride cell. J. Exp. Biol. 147: 147-168.
Perry, S.F., G.G. Goss & P. Laurent. 1992. The interrelationship between gill chloride cell morphology and ionic uptake in four freshwater teleosts. Can. J. Zool. 70: 1775-1786.
Scarlata, S. & S.M. Gruner. 1997. Role of phosphatidylethanolamine lipids in the stabilization of protein-lipid contacts. Biophys. Chem. 67: 269-279.
Tilcock, C.P.S. & P.R. Cullis. 1987. Lipid polymorphism. Ann. NY Acad. 492: 88-102.
Watlington, C.O. & W.R. Harlan. 1969. Ion transport and lipid content of isolated frog skin. Am. J. Physiol. 217: 1004-1008.
Zwingelstein, G., R. Meister & G. Brichon. 1975. Metabolism comparé des phospholipides des organes effecteurs de l'osmoregulation chez l'anguille chez l'anguille euroéene (Anguilla anguilla). Biochemie 57: 609-622.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hansen, H.J., Grosell, M. Are Membrane Lipids Involved in Osmoregulation? Studies in vivo on the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, After Reduced Ambient Salinity. Environmental Biology of Fishes 70, 57–65 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EBFI.0000022852.25057.62
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EBFI.0000022852.25057.62