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Physiological responses of Daphnia pulex to acid stress.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Acidity exerts a determining influence on the composition and diversity of freshwater faunas. While the physiological implications of freshwater acidification have been intensively studied in teleost fish and crayfish, much less is known about the acid-stress physiology of ecologically important groups such as cladoceran zooplankton. This study analyzed the extracellular acid-base state and CO2 partial pressure (P(CO2)), circulation and ventilation, as well as the respiration rate of Daphnia pulex acclimated to acidic (pH 5.5 and 6.0) and circumneutral (pH 7.8) conditions. RESULTS: D. pulex had a remarkably high extracellular pH of 8.33 and extracellular P(CO2) of 0.56 kPa under normal ambient conditions (pH 7.8 and normocapnia). The hemolymph had a high bicarbonate concentration of 20.9 mM and a total buffer value of 51.5 meq L(-1) pH(-1). Bicarbonate covered 93% of the total buffer value. Acidic conditions induced a slight acidosis (DeltapH = 0.16-0.23), a 30-65% bicarbonate loss, and elevated systemic activities (tachycardia, hyperventilation, hypermetabolism). pH 6.0 animals partly compensated the bicarbonate loss by increasing the non-bicarbonate buffer value from 2.0 to 5.1 meq L(-1) pH(-1). The extracellular P(CO2) of pH 5.5 animals was significantly reduced to 0.33 kPa, and these animals showed the highest tolerance to a short-term exposure to severe acid stress. CONCLUSION: Chronic exposure to acidic conditions had a pervasive impact on Daphnia's physiology including acid-base balance, extracellular PCO2, circulation and ventilation, and energy metabolism. Compensatory changes in extracellular non-bicarbonate buffering capacity and the improved tolerance to severe acid stress indicated the activation of defense mechanisms which may result from gene-expression mediated adjustments in hemolymph buffer proteins and in epithelial properties. Mechanistic analyses of the interdependence between extracellular acid-base balance and CO2 transport raised the question of whether a carbonic anhydrase (CA) is involved in the catalysis of the CO2-HCO3(-)-H(+) reaction, which led to the discovery of 31 CA-genes in the genome of D. pulex.

SUBMITTER: Weber AK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2689847 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Physiological responses of Daphnia pulex to acid stress.

Weber Anna K AK Pirow Ralph R

BMC physiology 20090421

<h4>Background</h4>Acidity exerts a determining influence on the composition and diversity of freshwater faunas. While the physiological implications of freshwater acidification have been intensively studied in teleost fish and crayfish, much less is known about the acid-stress physiology of ecologically important groups such as cladoceran zooplankton. This study analyzed the extracellular acid-base state and CO2 partial pressure (P(CO2)), circulation and ventilation, as well as the respiration ...[more]

PMID: 19383148

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Project description:Long terminal repeat (LTR) retroelements represent a successful group of transposable elements (TEs) that have played an important role in shaping the structure of many eukaryotic genomes. Here, we present a genome-wide analysis of LTR retroelements in Daphnia pulex, a cyclical parthenogen and the first crustacean for which the whole genomic sequence is available. In addition, we analyze transcriptional data and perform transposon display assays of lab-reared lineages and natural isolates to identify potential influences on TE mobility and differences in LTR retroelements loads among individuals reproducing with and without sex.We conducted a comprehensive de novo search for LTR retroelements and identified 333 intact LTR retroelements representing 142 families in the D. pulex genome. While nearly half of the identified LTR retroelements belong to the gypsy group, we also found copia (95), BEL/Pao (66) and DIRS (19) retroelements. Phylogenetic analysis of reverse transcriptase sequences showed that LTR retroelements in the D. pulex genome form many lineages distinct from known families, suggesting that the majority are novel. Our investigation of transcriptional activity of LTR retroelements using tiling array data obtained from three different experimental conditions found that 71 LTR retroelements are actively transcribed. Transposon display assays of mutation-accumulation lines showed evidence for putative somatic insertions for two DIRS retroelement families. Losses of presumably heterozygous insertions were observed in lineages in which selfing occurred, but never in asexuals, highlighting the potential impact of reproductive mode on TE abundance and distribution over time. The same two families were also assayed across natural isolates (both cyclical parthenogens and obligate asexuals) and there were more retroelements in populations capable of reproducing sexually for one of the two families assayed.Given the importance of LTR retroelements activity in the evolution of other genomes, this comprehensive survey provides insight into the potential impact of LTR retroelements on the genome of D. pulex, a cyclically parthenogenetic microcrustacean that has served as an ecological model for over a century.

Project description:BackgroundThe large gene superfamily of ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporters encodes membrane proteins involved in trafficking processes across biological membranes and further essential cell biological functions. ABC transporters are evolutionary ancient and involved in the biochemical defence against toxicants. We report here a genome-wide survey of ABC proteins of Daphnia pulex, providing for the first time information on ABC proteins in crustacea, a primarily aquatic arthropod subphylum of high ecological and economical importance.ResultsWe identified 64 ABC proteins in the Daphnia genome, which possesses members of all current ABC subfamilies A to H. To unravel phylogenetic relationships, ABC proteins of Daphnia were compared to those from yeast, worm, fruit fly and human. A high conservation of Daphnia of ABC transporters was observed for proteins involved in fundamental cellular processes, including the mitochondrial half transporters of the ABCB subfamily, which function in iron metabolism and transport of Fe/S protein precursors, and the members of subfamilies ABCD, ABCE and ABCF, which have roles in very long chain fatty acid transport, initiation of gene transcription and protein translation, respectively. A number of Daphnia proteins showed one-to-one orthologous relationships to Drosophila ABC proteins including the sulfonyl urea receptor (SUR), the ecdysone transporter ET23, and the eye pigment precursor transporter scarlet. As the fruit fly, Daphnia lacked homologues to the TAP protein, which plays a role in antigene processing, and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which functions as a chloride channel. Daphnia showed two proteins homologous to MDR (multidrug resistance) P-glycoproteins (ABCB subfamily) and six proteins homologous to MRPs (multidrug resistance-associated proteins) (ABCC subfamily). However, lineage specific gene duplications in the ABCB and ABCC subfamilies complicated the inference of function. A particularly high number of gene duplications were observed in the ABCG and ABCH subfamilies, which have 23 and 15 members, respectively.ConclusionThe in silico characterisation of ABC transporters in the Daphnia pulex genome revealed that the complement of ABC transporters is as complex in crustaceans as that other metazoans. Not surprisingly, among currently available genomes, Daphnia ABC transporters most closely resemble those of the fruit fly, another arthropod.

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Physiological responses of Daphnia pulex to acid stress.

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Physiological responses of Daphnia pulex to acid stress.

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