Enzymatic capacities for beta-oxidation of fatty fuels are low in the gill of teleost fishes despite presence of fatty acid-binding protein.

A variety of circulating fuels can support the work of the teleost gill. Previous work indicates, however, that unlike other aerobic tissues from teleosts, the gill may have a limited capacity to oxidize fatty fuels. We determined capacities for catabolism of carbohydrate, fatty acids, and amino acids in four species of temperate marine or euryhaline teleosts representing distinct lineages. In addition, we assessed the capacity for fatty acid oxidation in the gill from an Antarctic species. Activities of rate-limiting or regulatory enzymes from pathways of energy metabolism were measured at physiological temperatures (15 degrees or 1 degrees C). In the temperate species, ATP yields from glucose are 3- to 30-fold greater (varying with species) than ATP yields from a monounsaturated fatty acid, while ATP generation from glutamate is 2-50 times greater than similar capacities for the lipid fuel. Like the temperate species, capacity for beta-oxidation of fatty acids is limited in the Antarctic species. A positive linear correlation between activities of citrate synthase (central pathway of oxidative metabolism) and hexokinase (glycolysis) adds further support to the hypothesis that glucose is a preferred metabolic fuel in gill. Our results also demonstrate that fatty acid-binding protein is present in the gill of teleost fishes. It is likely that this protein plays a more important role facilitating anabolic pathways in lipid metabolism rather than fatty acid oxidation in the gill of teleost fishes.     

Intracerebroventricular injections of noradrenaline affect brain energy metabolism of rainbow trout

To assess the role of noradrenaline (NA) as a possible regulator of brain energy metabolism in teleost fish, the impact of increased noradrenaline levels within the brain on several parameters of energy metabolism was assessed in rainbow trout brain. Accordingly, two different doses of noradrenaline, producing increases in brain NA levels comparable to those occurring in several physiological processes in nature, were selected. In a subsequent set of three different experiments, fish were intracerebroventricularly injected with 1 microL 100 g(-1) body weight of Cortland saline alone (control) or containing NA (5 nmol NA and 10 nmol NA); after 30 min, brain and plasma samples were taken to assess changes in parameters of energy metabolism due to NA treatment. The results obtained clearly show dose-dependent changes in NA-treated fish in several parameters, including decreased glycogen and ATP levels, increased lactate and pyruvate levels, decreased fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase activity, and increased pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities. Altogether, the present experiments show for the first time in a teleost fish evidence supporting that increased noradrenaline levels in the brain elicit metabolic changes in the brain (enhanced glycogenolysis and glycolysis), resulting in an increased energy demand. These metabolic changes may be related to those occurring under several physiological conditions in nature such as hypoxia, in which increased energy demand and increased noradrenaline levels occur in the brain simultaneously.     

The metabolic organization of a primitive air-breathing fish, the Florida gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus)

The metabolic organization of the air-breathing Florida gar, Lepisosteus platyrhincus, was assessed by measuring the maximal activities of key enzymes in several metabolic pathways in selected tissues, concentrations of plasma metabolites including nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), free amino acids (FAA) and glucose as well as tissue FAA levels. In general, L. platyrhincus has an enhanced capacity for carbohydrate metabolism as indicated by elevated plasma glucose levels and high activities of gluconeogenic and glycolytic enzymes. Based upon these properties, glucose appears to function as the major fuel source in the Florida gar. The capacity for lipid metabolism in L. platyrhincus appears limited as plasma NEFA levels and the activities of enzymes involved in lipid oxidation are low relative to many other fish species. L. platyrhincus is capable of oxidizing both D- and L-beta-hydroxybutyrate, with tissue-specific preferences for each stereoisomer, yet the capacity for ketone body metabolism is low compared with other primitive fishes. Based on enzyme activities, the metabolism of the air-breathing organ more closely resembles that of the mammalian lung than a fish swim bladder. The Florida gar sits phylogenetically and metabolically in an intermediate position between the "primitive" elasmobranchs and the "advanced" teleosts. The apparently unique metabolic organization of the gar may have evolved in the context of a bimodal air-breathing environmental adaptation.     

Comparative study of some haematological and biochemical blood parameters in fishes from the Skagerrak

Marine fishes caught in the Skagerrak, 27 different species representing various groups of fishes (Cyclostomi, Holocephali, Elasmobranchii and Teleostei), were examined for the following haematological and biochemical blood parameters: haematocrit, haemoglobin, mean corpuscle haemoglobin concentration, total plasma protein, blood glucose and blood lactate. Interspecies variations as well as variations within some species were observed. The haemoglobin values for all species showed a positive correlation to the corresponding haematocrit values. Relatively low values for haematocrit and haemoglobin were found in cyclostomes, holocephaleans and elasmobranchii compared to the majority of teleosts. Within the teleost group, the haematocrit and haemoglobin levels were positively correlated with the activity of the fish species. The cyclostome Myxine glutimsa L. had a total plasma protein content in the same range as most teleosts, whereas holocephaleans, elasmobranchii and the deep-water teleost Coryphaenoides rupestris Gunnerus showed comparatively low values. Among teleosts some relationship seemed to exist between the total plasma protein level and the activity of the fish species. In addition, a correlation between plasma protein content and levels of blood lipids were noted. Values for blood glucose and blood lactate were found to be lower in cyclostomes, holocephaleans and elasmobranchii than in most teleosts. Higher blood glucose levels were observed in the more active teleost species.     

Daily changes in parameters of energy metabolism in brain of rainbow trout: dependence on feeding

We assessed the daily patterns of parameters involved in energy metabolism in plasma and brain of rainbow trout. Where daily rhythms were found, we analyzed the potential influence of feeding. Immature rainbow trout were randomly distributed in 3 groups: fish fed for 7 days, fish fasted for 7 days, and fish fasted for 7 days and refed for 4 days. On sampling day, fish of fed and refed groups were fed at 11.00 h, and all fish were sampled from each treatment group using the following time schedule: 14.00, 18.00, 21.00, 00.00, 04.00, 07.00, 10.00 and 14.00 h. The results obtained from metabolic parameters assessed in plasma and brain can be grouped into three different categories, such as (i) those displaying no 24 h changes in fed fish such as plasma lactate, protein or acetoacetate levels, as well as brain amino acid and protein levels, and lowKm(glucose) hexokinase, and aspartate aminotransferase activities, (ii) those displaying 24 h changes that were apparently dependent on feeding since they disappeared in fasted fish such as the case of plasma cortisol, glucose and triglyceride levels, as well as brain glycogen, glucose, and lactate levels, and pyruvate kinase and hexokinase IV activities, and (iii) those parameters displaying 24 h changes apparently not dependent on feeding such as plasma amino acids, brain acetoacetate levels as well as several enzyme activities measured in brain such as glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and lactate dehydrogenase-oxidase. In general, 24 h changes dependent on feeding indicate an increased use of glucose in brain several hours post-feeding whereas those changes not dependent on feeding were characterized by reduced levels/activity at the night period suggesting a metabolic depression in brain during darkness.     

The unusual energy metabolism of elasmobranch fishes

The unusual energy metabolism of elasmobranchs is characterized by limited or absent fatty acid oxidation in cardiac and skeletal muscle and a great reliance on ketone bodies and amino acids as oxidative fuels in these tissues. Other extrahepatic tissues in elasmobranchs rely on ketone bodies and amino acids for aerobic energy production but, unlike muscle, also appear to possess a significant capacity to oxidize fatty acids. This organization of energy metabolism is reflected by relatively low plasma levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and by plasma levels of the ketone body ß-hydroxybutyrate that are as high as those seen in fasted mammals. The preference for ketone body oxidation rather than fatty acid oxidation in muscle of elasmobranchs under routine conditions is opposite to the situation in teleosts and mammals. Carbohydrates appear to be utilized as a fuel source in elasmobranchs, similar to other vertebrates. Amino acid- and lipid-fueled ketogenesis in the liver, the lipid storage site in elasmobranchs, sustains the demand for ketone bodies as oxidative fuels. The liver also appears to export NEFA and serves a buoyancy role. The regulation of energy metabolism in elasmobranchs and the effects of environmental factors remain poorly understood. The metabolic organization of elasmobranchs was likely present in the common ancestor of the Chondrichthyes ca. 400 million years ago and, speculatively, it may reflect the ancestral metabolism of jawed vertebrates. We assess hypotheses for the evolution of the unusual energy metabolism of elasmobranchs and propose that the need to synthesize urea has influenced the utilization of ketone bodies and amino acids as oxidative fuels.     

Evidence for a period of directional selection following gene duplication in a neurally expressed locus of triosephosphate isomerase

A striking correlation between neural expression and high net negative charge in some teleost isozymes led to the interesting, yet untested, suggestion that negative charge represents an adaptation (via natural selection) to the neural environment. We examine the evolution of the triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) gene family in fishes for periods of positive selection. Teleost fish express two TPI proteins, including a generally expressed, neutrally charged isozyme and a neurally expressed, negatively charged isozyme; more primitive fish express only a single, generally expressed TPI isozyme. The TPI gene phylogeny constructed from sequences isolated from two teleosts, a single acipenseriform, and other TPI sequences from the databases, supports a single gene duplication event early in the evolution of bony fishes. Comparisons between inferred ancestral TPI sequences indicate that the neural TPI isozyme evolved through a period of positive selection resulting in the biased accumulation of negatively charged amino acids. Further, the number of nucleotide changes required for the observed amino acid substitutions suggests that selection acted on the overall charge of the protein and not on specific key amino acids.     

Growth hormone and prolactin actions on osmoregulation and energy metabolism of gilthead sea bream (Sparus auratus)

The gilthead sea bream (Sparus auratus) is an euryhaline fish where prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) play a role in the adaptation to different environmental salinities. To find out the role of these pituitary hormones in osmoregulation and energy metabolism, fish were implanted with slow release implants of ovine GH (oGH, 5 microg g(-1) body mass) or ovine prolactin (oPRL, 5 microg g(-1) body mass), and sampled 7 days after the start of the treatment. GH increased branchial Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity and decreased sodium levels in line with its predicted hypoosmoregulatory action. GH had metabolic effects as indicated by lowered plasma protein and lactate levels, while glucose, triglycerides and plasma cortisol levels were not affected. Also, GH changed liver glucose and lipid metabolism, stimulated branchial and renal glucose metabolism and glycolytic activity, and enhanced glycogenolysis in brain. PRL induced hypernatremia. Furthermore, this hormone decreased liver lipid oxidation potential, and increased glucose availability in kidney and brain. Both hormones have opposite osmoregulatory effects and different metabolic effects. These metabolic changes may support a role for both hormones in the control of energy metabolism in fish that could be related to the metabolic changes occurring during osmotic acclimation.     

Acclimation of S aurata to various salinities alters energy metabolism of osmoregulatory and nonosmoregulatory organs

The impact of different environmental salinities on the energy metabolism of gills, kidney, liver, and brain was assessed in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) acclimated to brackish water [BW, 12 parts/thousand (ppt)], seawater (SW, 38 ppt) and hyper saline water (HSW, 55 ppt) for 14 days. Plasma osmolality and levels of sodium and chloride presented a clear direct relationship with environmental salinities. A general activation of energy metabolism was observed under different osmotic conditions. In liver, an enhancement of glycogenolytic and glycolytic potential was observed in fish acclimated to BW and HSW compared with those in SW. In plasma, an increased availability of glucose, lactate, and protein was observed in parallel with the increase in salinity. In gills, an increased Na+-K+-ATPase activity, a clear decrease in the capacity for use of exogenous glucose and the pentose phosphate pathway, as well as an increased glycolytic potential were observed in parallel with the increased salinity. In kidney, Na+-K+-ATPase activity and lactate levels increased in HSW, whereas the capacity for the use of exogenous glucose decreased in BW- and HSW- acclimated fish compared with SW-acclimated fish. In brain, fish acclimated to BW or HSW displayed an enhancement in their potential for glycogenolysis, use of exogenous glucose, and glycolysis compared with SW-acclimated fish. Also in brain, lactate and ATP levels decreased in parallel with the increase in salinity. The data are discussed in the context of energy expenditure associated with osmotic acclimation to different environmental salinities in fish euryhaline species.     

Mitochondria: aerobic and anaerobic design--lessons from molluscs and fishes

The contributions of Peter Hochachka to the development of comparative and adaptational biochemistry are substantial. In particular, he and his academic offspring made major contributions to the understanding of the metabolism of molluscs and fishes. These two large taxonomic groups each have marine, freshwater and terrestrial/semiterrestrial representatives, and their mitochondrial metabolism has been shaped by these environmental conditions. In particular, the importance of amino acids and lipids as energy sources has interesting correlations with the environment and the osmotic strategy used. In marine molluscs, amino acids are important aerobic energy sources, and are used as osmolytes and participate in anaerobic metabolism. In marine elasmobranchs, amino acids and ketone bodies, but not lipids per se, are important energy sources in extrahepatic tissues. Marine and freshwater teleost fish by contrast use lipids as an extrahepatic energy source with minimal use of ketone bodies. Furthermore, ketone bodies are important in the metabolism of freshwater and terrestrial but not marine molluscs. The bases for these different metabolic plans may lie in the solute systems used by the different groups (e.g. amino acids in marine molluscs and urea in marine elasmobranchs). The various metabolic options used by fishes and molluscs indicate the plasticity of metabolic design in an environmental context.     

Low mass-specific brain Na+/K+-ATPase activity in elasmobranch compared to teleost fishes: implications for the large brain size of elasmobranchs

Elasmobranch fishes have long been noted for having unusually large brains for ectotherms, and therefore may be exceptions to the rule that vertebrates in general devote less than 8% of their resting metabolic rate to the central nervous system. The brain mass of sharks, skates and rays is often several times larger than that of teleost fishes of the same size. Still, the underlying reasons for this have remained unclear. Ion pumping by the Na+/K+-ATPase is the single most energy consuming process in the brain. In this study, Na+/K+-ATPase activity was measured in the brain of four species of elasmobranchs and 11 species of teleosts. While the average brain mass of the elasmobranchs examined was approximately three times that of the teleosts, the mean specific Na+/K+-ATPase activity was only about one-third of that of the teleosts. Thus, the total brain Na+/K+-ATPase activity was similar in elasmobranchs and teleosts. This suggests that the large brain size of elasmobranchs is at least partly related to a low mass-specific rate of brain energy use.     

Food deprivation alters osmoregulatory and metabolic responses to salinity acclimation in gilthead sea bream Sparus auratus

The influence of acclimation to different environmental salinities (low salinity water, LSW; seawater, SW; and hyper saline water, HSW) and feeding conditions (fed and food deprived) for 14 days was assessed on osmoregulation and energy metabolism of several tissues of gilthead sea bream Sparus auratus. Fish were randomly assigned to one of six treatments: fed fish in LSW, SW, and HSW, and food-deprived fish in LSW, SW, and HSW. After 14 days, plasma, liver, gills, kidney and brain were taken for the assessment of plasma osmolality, plasma cortisol, metabolites and the activity of several enzymes involved in energy metabolism. Food deprivation abolished or attenuated the increase in gill Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity observed in LSW- and HSW-acclimated fish, respectively. In addition, a linear relationship between renal Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity and environmental salinity was observed after food deprivation, but values decreased with respect to fed fish. Food-deprived fish acclimated to extreme salinities increased production of glucose through hepatic gluconeogenesis, and the glucose produced was apparently exported to other tissues and served to sustain plasma glucose levels. Salinity acclimation to extreme salinities enhanced activity of osmoregulatory organs, which is probably sustained by higher glucose use in fed fish but by increased use of other fuels, such as lactate and amino acids in food-deprived fish.     

Glucose dehydrogenase in teleosts: tissue distribution and proposed function

Tissue extracts of skeletal muscle, heart, eye, brain, liver, kidney, gill and stomach were electrophoretically examined for glucose dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.47) activity in 21 species of marine teleost fishes. Glucose dehydrogenase expression was detected only in liver extracts. Considerable interordinal variation was found in levels of enzymatic activity. Available data support the hypothesis that glucose dehydrogenase provides NADPH for the mixed-function oxidase system in teleosts.     

Ancient vertebrate conserved noncoding elements have been evolving rapidly in teleost fishes

Vertebrate genomes contain thousands of conserved noncoding elements (CNEs) that often function as tissue-specific enhancers. In this study, we have identified CNEs in human, dog, chicken, Xenopus, and four teleost fishes (zebrafish, stickleback, medaka, and fugu) using elephant shark, a cartilaginous vertebrate, as the base genome and investigated the evolution of these ancient vertebrate CNEs (aCNEs) in bony vertebrate lineages. Our analysis shows that aCNEs have been evolving at different rates in different bony vertebrate lineages. Although 78-83% of CNEs have diverged beyond recognition ("lost") in different teleost fishes, only 24% and 40% have been lost in the chicken and mammalian lineages, respectively. Relative rate tests of substitution rates in CNEs revealed that the teleost fish CNEs have been evolving at a significantly higher rate than those in other bony vertebrates. In the ray-finned fish lineage, 68% of aCNEs were lost before the divergence of the four teleosts. This implicates the "fish-specific" whole-genome duplication in the accelerated evolution and the loss of a large number of both copies of duplicated CNEs in teleost fishes. The aCNEs are rich in tissue-specific enhancers and thus many of them are likely to be evolutionarily constrained cis-regulatory elements. The rapid evolution of aCNEs might have affected the expression patterns driven by them. Transgenic zebrafish assay of some human CNE enhancers that have been lost in teleosts has indicated instances of conservation or changes in trans-acting factors between mammals and fishes.     

Metabolic organization of the spotted ratfish, Hydrolagus colliei (Holocephali: Chimaeriformes): insight into the evolution of energy metabolism in the chondrichthyan fishes

The metabolic organization of a holocephalan, the spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei), was assessed using measurements of key enzymes of several metabolic pathways in four tissues and plasma concentrations of free amino acids (FAA) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) to ascertain if the Holocephali differ metabolically from the Elasmobranchii since these groups diverged ca. 400 Mya. Activities of carnitine palmitoyl transferase indicate that fatty acid oxidation occurs in liver and kidney but not in heart or white muscle. This result mirrors the well-established absence of lipid oxidation in elasmobranch muscle, and more recent studies showing that elasmobranch kidney possesses a capacity for lipid oxidation. High activities in oxidative tissues of enzymes of ketone body metabolism, including D-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, indicate that, like elasmobranchs, ketone bodies are of central importance in spotted ratfish. Like many carnivorous fishes, enzyme activities demonstrate that amino acids are metabolically important, although the concentration of plasma FAA was relatively low. NEFA concentrations are lower than in teleosts, but higher than in most elasmobranchs and similar to that in some "primitive" ray-finned fishes. NEFA composition is comparable to other marine temperate fishes, including high levels of n-6 and especially n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The metabolic organization of the spotted ratfish is similar to that of elasmobranchs: a reduced capacity for lipid oxidation in muscle, lower plasma NEFA levels, and an emphasis on ketone bodies as oxidative fuel. This metabolic strategy was likely present in the common chondrichthyan ancestor, and may be similar to the ancestral metabolic state of fishes.     

Substrates of Energy Metabolism of the Pituitary and Pineal Glands

The capability of the neurohypophysis, the adenohypophysis, and the pineal gland to oxidize nonesterified fatty acids and glucose as energy sources was studied in vivo. Fed and 48-h-starved rats had catheters placed in their femoral vessels. After they became conscious, an intravenous injection of one of the following was given: [1-14C]acetate, [1-14C]octanoate, [1-14C]-palmitate, or [2-14C]glucose. After 5 min the rats were sacrificed. These metabolites produce [14C]acetyl-CoA within the mitochondria when they are oxidized as metabolic fuels. On passage through the Krebs cycle a considerable portion of the 14C is trapped in large amino acid pools closely associated with the Krebs cycle; the appearance of 14C in these amino acids was taken as evidence of oxidation. As expected, brain structures behind the blood-brain barrier (cerebral cortex and caudate) showed considerable labeling of Krebs cycle-associated amino acids in both nutritional states when [2-14C]glucose was the substrate. Surprisingly, however, no label was detected in amino acids of the neurohypophysis or the pineal gland in starved rats and very little in fed rats. On the other hand, 14C from acetate and palmitate was extensively incorporated into amino acids of the pineal gland and the neurohypophysis, while little 14C labeling was found in the cerebral cortex and the caudate. Octanoate, which passes the blood-brain barrier readily, labeled amino acids of all tissues. The experiments demonstrated conclusively that the neural structures studied, which have no blood-brain barrier, do not rely heavily upon glucose as a fuel for oxidative energy metabolism, in contrast to the rest of the brain. The results also showed that nonesterified fatty acids may supply at least some of their energy requirements.     

Evolutionary Patterns and Selective Pressures of Odorant/Pheromone Receptor Gene Families in Teleost Fishes

Background

Teleost fishes do not have a vomeronasal organ (VNO), and their vomeronasal receptors (V1Rs, V2Rs) are expressed in the main olfactory epithelium (MOE), as are odorant receptors (ORs) and trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). In this study, to obtain insights into the functional distinction among the four chemosensory receptor families in teleost fishes, their evolutionary patterns were examined in zebrafish, medaka, stickleback, fugu, and spotted green pufferfish.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Phylogenetic analysis revealed that many lineage-specific gene gains and losses occurred in the teleost fish TAARs, whereas only a few gene gains and losses have taken place in the teleost fish vomeronasal receptors. In addition, synonymous and nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution rate ratios (K_A/K_S) in TAARs tended to be higher than those in ORs and V2Rs.

Conclusions/Significance

Frequent gene gains/losses and high K_A/K_S in teleost TAARs suggest that receptors in this family are used for detecting some species-specific chemicals such as pheromones. Conversely, conserved repertoires of V1R and V2R families in teleost fishes may imply that receptors in these families perceive common odorants for teleosts, such as amino acids. Teleost ORs showed intermediate evolutionary pattern between TAARs and vomeronasal receptors. Many teleost ORs seem to be used for common odorants, but some ORs may have evolved to recognize lineage-specific odors.     

Protein metabolism during endurance exercise

After reviewing all the available results from our laboratory and numerous reports in the literature concerning changes that have occurred in various aspects of protein metabolism during exercise, a number of conclusions can be drawn with some degree of confidence. During exercise, protein synthesis is depressed and this change leaves amino acids available for catabolic processes. The rate of leucine oxidation appears to be increased during exercise, and there is a movement of amino acids, mostly in the form of alanine, from muscle to liver where the rate of gluconeogenesis is increased as a result of exercise. These changes in protein metabolism are probably physiologically significant in at least three ways: amino acid conversion to citric acid cycle intermediates enhances the rate of oxidation of acetyl-CoA generated from glucose and fatty acid oxidation; increased conversion of amino acids to glucose helps to prevent hypoglycemia; oxidation of some amino acids may provide energy for muscular contraction.     

Metabolic adjustments during semi-aestivation of the marble swamp eel (Synbranchus marmoratus, Bloch 1795)--a facultative air breathing fish.

Metabolic changes, principally in intermediary metabolism and nitrogen excretion, were investigated in the marble swamp eel (Synbranchus marmoratus) after 15 and 45 days of artificially induced semi-aestivation. Glucose, glycogen, lactate, pyruvate, free amino acids, triglycerides, ammonia, urea, and urate contents were determined in liver, kidney, white muscle, heart, brain, and plasma. Lactate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, glutamine synthase, ornithine carbamoyl transferase, and arginase enzymes were assayed. The teleost S. marmoratus maintained initial energetic demands by lipid oxidation. The course of normal oxidative processes was observed through tissue enzyme profiles. After the lipid stores were exhausted, the fish consumed body proteins. Constant values of hematocrit during induced semi-aestivation suggested that the water balance remained normal. Therefore, the surrounding water was probably did not trigger the semi-aestivation in this teleost. Decrease of ammonia and increase of renal urea synthesis after 45 days of semi-aestivation led to the assumption that an alternative form of eliminating ammonia exists. Metabolic changes entailed by starvation were proposed to explain the biosynthesis of small molecules involved in the semi-aestivation of S. marmoratus.