On the evolution of protamines in bony Fish: Alternatives to the “Retroviral horizontal transmission” hypothesis

Fish protamines are highly specialized molecules which are responsible for chromatin condensation during the last stages of spermatogenesis (spermiogenesis). However, not all fish contain protamines in their sperm nuclei; rather, there seems to be a random distribution of protamines within this group. The origin of this sporadic presence of protamines in the sperm and its significance have not yet been precisely determined. In this paper we have conducted an exhaustive survey of the literature available on the different types of nuclear protein composition of the sperm of teleost fish in order to try to correlate these data with what is presently known about the taxonomy of this group. The results of this analysis have allowed us to make the following observations. The divergence between protamines and histones has occurred several times during the evolution of the bony fish. However, the relative frequency of this divergence is almost negligible during the differentiation of genera and species (intrafamily variation) and is very small during the differentiation of families (interfamily variation). Nevertheless, the divergence is very noticeable among the different orders. It is therefore possible to conclude from all this that the sporadic distribution of protamines in bony fish is not a random event as initially believed. Furthermore, such a heterogeneous distribution of protamines cannot be easily accounted for by a mechanism of horizontal retroviral transmission through repeated and independent acquisition of a prot amine gene as has been recently proposed (Jankowski, Stater, Dixon (1986) J Mol Evol 23:1–10). Rather, it could possibly be explained by a repeated and independent loss of the expression of the protamine gene (or loss of the gene itself) which mainly occurred during the diversification of the orders of this group.Correspondence to: J. Ausio     

Fine-scale temporal variation in recruitment of a temperate demersal fish: the importance of settlement versus post-settlement loss

In order to understand variability in recruitment to populations of benthic and demersal marine species, it is critical to distinguish between the contributions due to variations in larval settlement versus those caused by post-settlement mortality. In this study, fine-scale (1–2 days) temporal changes in recruit abundance were followed through an entire settlement season in a temperate demersal fish in order to determine 1) how dynamic the process of recruitment is on a daily scale, 2) whether settlement and post-settlement mortality are influenced by habitat structure and conspecific density, and 3) how the relationship between settlement and recruitment changes over time. Settlement is considered to be the arrival of new individuals from the pelagic habitat, and recruitment is defined as the number of individuals surviving arbitrary periods of time after settlement. Replicate standardized habitat units were placed in 2 spatial configurations (clumped and randomly dispersed) and monitored visually for cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus) settlement and recruitment every 1–2 days throughout the settlement season. The process of recruitment in T. adspersus was highly variable at a fine temporal scale. Changes in the numbers of recruits present on habitat units were due to both settlement of new individuals and mortality of animals previously recruited. The relative importance of these two processes appeared to change from day to day. The magnitude of the change in recruit number did not differ between the clumped and random habitats. However, post-settlement loss was significantly greater on randomly dispersed than clumped habitats. During several sampling dates, the extent of the change in recruit abundance was correlated with the density of resident conspecifics; however, on other dates no such relationship appeared to exist. Despite the presence of significant relationships between the change in recruit number and density, there was no evidence of either density-dependent mortality or settlement. Initially, there was a strong relationship between settlement and recruitment; however, this relationship weakened over time. Within 2 months after the cessation of settlement, post-settlement loss was greater than 99%, and no correlation remained between recruitment and the initial pattern of settlement. The results of this study demonstrate that the spatial arrangement of the habitat affects the rate and intensity of post-settlement loss. Counter to much current thinking, this study suggests that in order to understand the population ecology of reef fishes, knowledge of what habitats new recruits use and how mortality varies with structural aspects of the habitats is essential.     

A nested parasite species subset pattern in tropical fish: host as major determinant of parasite infracommunity structure

The number of monogenean gill parasite species associated with fish hosts of different sizes is evaluated for 35 host individuals of the West African cyprinid Labeo coubie. The length of host individuals explains 86% of the total variation in monogenean species richness among individuals. Larger hosts harbour more species than smaller ones. The existence of a hierarchical association of parasite species in individuals of L. coubie is demonstrated. Monogenean infracommunities on larger fish hosts consist of all species found on smaller hosts plus those restricted to the larger size categories, suggesting some degree of compositional persistence among host individuals. The findings provide strong support for an interpretation of the relationship between monogenean parasite species richness and host body size in terms of a nested species subset pattern, thus providing a new record of repetitive structure and predictability for parasite infracommunities of hosts.After 15/01/1995, ORSTOM, BP 165 97323 Cayenne cedex Guyane France     

Specific DNA probes for the identification of the fish pathogen,Renibacterium salmoninarum

To obtain specific DNA probes for the identification of the fish pathogen, Renibacterium salmoninarum, a discriminatory recombinant DNA library was constructed using selective fragments of the bacterial genome. Three renibacterial clones, pMAM29, pMAM46 and pMAM77, containing 149, 73, and 154 bp respectively, were isolated and characterized. The specificity of the probes was confirmed by dot-blot and Southern hybridization analyses. Bacterial hybridization experiments revealed that pMAM29 discriminates the R. salmoninarum genome from that of other fish pathogens such as Aeromonas salmonicida, Yersinia ruckeri, Flexibacter columnaris, Lactobacillus piscicola, Vibrio ordalii, Vibrio anguillarum and Aeromonas hydrophila. Thus, this probe may provide a new means to diagnose bacterial kidney disease in asymptomatic fish and ova.The authors are with the instituto de Bioquímica, Universidad Austral de Chile, P.O. Box 567, Valdivia, Chile     

水库对投饵网箱养鱼的负荷力

本文用１８个１４．３ｍ￣３的围隔组成的围隔群,以鲤为材料,研究了水库对投饵网箱养鱼的负荷力。实验中观测了水温、透明度、ｐＨ值、溶氧、化学耗氧量、生化需氧量与非离子氨等环境因素的变化。结束时将这些变化与我国渔业水质标准相比较,查明该负荷力约为３０００ｋｇ·ｈａ￣（－１）,建议增加２５－３５％的安全储备,以最大载鱼量１８００－２３００ｋｇ·ｈａ￣（－１）作为推荐值。     

The effects of temperature and adrenergic agonists on cardiac myocytes of perch (Perca fluviatilis) in cell culture conditions

1. 1. Isolated cardiac myocytes of perch, Perca fluviatilis, were kept in culture conditions for 1–2 months at 12 or 22°C. In the culture most myocytes flattened, lost their spindle-shaped morphology, protruded pseudopod-like branches and many of them started visible contractions in 1–2 weeks and continued beating for several months. Myocytes did not divide in the sparse cell population used. Typical intracellular structures could be seen in electron micrographs still after 1–2 months, but the sarcoplasmic organization became gradually more irregular in the culture.

2. 2. Beat rates showed linear temperature relationship on the Arrhenius plot. Myocytes cultivated at 22°C showed higher frequencies and slightly less dependence on temperature than myocytes cultivated at 12°C (apparent activation energies (E_a) 86 and 107 kJ/mol, respectively).

3. 3. Temperature dependence of frequencies was related to the presence of added serum or adrenergic agonists: β-adrenergic agonists increased the frequencies and rendered the cells less dependent on temperature; apparent activation energy was 43 kJ/mol for isoprenaline or adrenaline and 108 kJ/mol for noradrenaline and control group.

4. 4. Heat tolerance was greater in myocytes cultivated at 22°C than in myocytes cultivated at 12°C, and the change in tolerance appeared in 12 h after the alteration of culture temperature and the increased tolerance was persistent after that.

5. 5. It is suggested, that the processes of quick heat-hardening and of slower but persistent heat resistance acclimation developed in these cells in culture conditions but not the capacity acclimation, which seems to be dependent on adrenergic regulation of beat rate.

Ultrastructural evidence of GABA-ergic inhibition and glutamatergic excitation in the pacemaker nucleus of the gymnotiform electric fish,Hypopomus

The medullary pacemaker nucleus of Hypopomus triggers each electric organ discharge (EOD) by a single command pulse. It consists of electrotonically coupled pacemaker cells, which generate the rhythm, and relay cells, which follow the pacemaker cells and excite the spinal motoneurons of the electric organ. The pacemaker cells receive two inputs from the complex of the diencephalic prepacemaker nucleus (PPn), a GABA-ergic inhibition and a glutamatergic excitation. Relay cells, on the other hand, receive two glutamatergic inputs, one from a subnucleus of the PPn, the PPn-C, and a second from the sublemniscal prepacemaker nucleus (SPPn).We have labelled afferents to the pacemaker nucleus by injecting HRP to specific sites of the prepacemaker complex. By using immunogold-labelled antibodies and en-grid staining techniques, we demonstrated GABA and glutamate immunoreactivity in labelled synaptic profiles of ultra-thin sections of the pacemaker nucleus. The two types of synapses were interspersed on the surfaces of pacemaker cells, with GABA-immunoreactive synapses apparently representing the GABA-mediated input of the PPn-I, an inhibitory subdivision of the PPn, and glutamate-immunoreactive synapses representing the input of the PPn-G, an excitatory subdivision of the PPn. Only glutamate-immunoreactive synapses were found on relay cells.Abbreviations AMPA -Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid - CP central posterior nucleus - EOD electric organ discharge - GABA -aminobutyric acid - GAD L-glutamate decarboxylase - HRP horseradish peroxidase - JAR jamming avoidance response - NMDA N-methyl-D-aspartate - PPn (diencephalic) prepacemaker nucleus - SPPn sublemniscal prepacemaker nucleus     

The African wave-type electric fish,Gymnarchus niloticus,lacks corollary discharge mechanisms for electrosensory gating

Gymnarchus niloticus, a wave-type African electric fish, performs its jamming avoidance response by relying solely upon afferent signals and does not use corollary discharges from the pacemaker nucleus in the medulla which generates the rhythmicity of electric organ discharges. This is in sharp contrast to the mode of sensory processing found in closely related African pulse-type electric fishes where afferent signals are gated by corollary discharges from the pacemaker for the distinction of exafferent and reafferent stimuli. Does Gymnarchus still possess a corollary discharge mechanism for other behavioral tasks but does not use it for the jamming avoidance response? In this study, I recorded from and labeled medullary neuronal structures that either generate or convey the pacemaker signal for electric organ discharges to examine whether this information is also sent directly to any sensory areas. The pacemaker nucleus was identified as the site of generation of the pacemaking signal. The pacemaker neurons project exclusively to the lateral relay nucleus which, in turn projects exclusively to the medial relay nucleus. Neurons in the medial relay nucleus send unbranched axons to the spinal electromotoneurons. These neurons are entirely devoted to drive the electric organ discharges, and no axon collaterals from these neurons were found to project to any sensory areas. This indicates that Gymnarchus does not possess the neuronal hardware for a corollary discharge mechanism.     

Freshwater fish zoogeography in west Africa: faunal similarities between river basins

Synopsis Similarities between the freshwater fish faunas of 52 west African rivers have been investigated and three main zoogeographic regions recognized. The Sudanian region includes all rivers from Senegal to the Omo, as well as coastal basins from Ivory Coast to the Cross and the Wouri. The Upper Guinean region comprises the coastal basins from Guinea to Liberia and the Lower Guinean one, the coastal rivers of Cameroon and Gaboon. The Sudanian region can be sub-divided into a Sudanian region sensu stricto, including the Sahelo-Sudanese rivers, and the Eburneo-Ghanean region corresponding to coastal basins from the Cess (or Nipoué, Ivory Coast) to the Pra (Ghana). These delimitations give an highly significant within region faunal homogeneity, even if the effect of geographical proximity between rivers is removed. 21 to 71% of the fish species in each region are endemics. The present patterns of distribution are the result of past climatic and geological events affecting west Africa and, given this framework, the role of alternating wet and dry periods during the early Quarternary is emphasized as well as the importance of mountains as dispersal barriers. Role of recent river connections and links via lagoon is emphasized in explaining river faunal similarities within biogeographical regions.     

Dry-season spawning in a cyprinid fish of southern India

Synopsis A population of the S. Indian cyprinid fishBarbus melanampyx was sampled monthly through 24 months. Seasonal cycles of the gonado-somatic index (GSI), ovarian stages, male breeding tubercles, spawning behaviour and population structure were assessed. These fish breed strictly seasonally during the main dry period: December/January through April. Comparison with other Barbus species of the same general region led to the conclusion that the patterns of reproductive investment ofB. melanampyx are similar to those of perennial species, and different from those of wet-season spawners. The reasons for this rather unexpected result were found in the more constant conditions prevailing during a dry season as compared to the monsoon. It was argued thatB. melanampyx and the species spawning perennially are in effect small-brood spawners, rather than partial spawners.