Lethal effect of fresh sea water on Vibrio parahaemolyticus and isolation of Bdellovibrio parasitic against the organism.

Halophilic Bdellovibrio, which is parasitic and lytic to Vibrio pharahaemolyticus, was ioslated from fresh sea water in the winter. It had a lethal effect on V. parahaemolyticus. The optimum temperature ofr multiplication ranged from 25 C to 30 C and growth was not observed at 35 C. Plaque numbers of the isolate reached a maximum in 17 hr under conditions of shaking at 25 C in autoclaved sea water supplemented with V. parahaemolyticus cells, and were as high as ten times the number of host cells. With respect to the host-suspended medium, the isolate multiplied in natural sea water ten times more than in Herbst's artificial sea water but did not grow in saline. V. parahaemolyticus, Vibrio alginolyticus and several species in the Vibrio genus were susceptible to the parasite on the basis of plaque formation but Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were not.     

The effect of high altitude on saliva aldosterone and glucocorticoid concentrations

Saliva was collected from six healthy young men at hourly intervals at sea level and after 1-2, 8-9 and 15-16 days at 4450 m on Mount Kenya for measurement of aldosterone (SA) and glucocorticoid (SGC, cortisol + cortisone) concentrations. Blood samples were collected simultaneously with some of the saliva samples and analysis of these showed that plasma and saliva concentrations of aldosterone and glucocorticoids were highly correlated (r = 0.91 and 0.75 respectively; p less than 0.01 for both hormones). Mean SA for the group was reduced to approximately 50% of the sea-level value (p less than 0.05) by the time the first saliva samples were collected at altitude, and remained at this depressed level throughout the 2-week period on Mount Kenya, although there was considerable inter-subject variation. SGC concentration also tended to be lower on Mount Kenya than at sea level. Though SA was lower throughout the day at altitude compared to sea level, the principal difference in the temporal pattern of SA was the reduction or complete absence of the marked rise in SA that normally occurs in the first few hours after rising. SA and SGC responses to exercise, which consisted of stepping on and off and 0.4-m high stool 60 times/min for 25 min, were assessed at sea level and after various periods at 4450 m.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The effect of Sea Water and Temperature on the Germination Behaviour of Crithmum maritimum

The seeds of Crithmmm maritimum L. were germinated floating on various concentrations of sea water up to 50% at constant temperatures of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C and at alternating temperatures of 5 and 15°C. 5 and 25°C. and 15 and 25°C. Significantly higher germination was obtained at alternating than at constant temperature. When two constant temperatures at which no germination occurred were alternated, good germination was obtained. There was reduced germination and increase in time of first germination as sea water concentration increased, in the absence of sea water, high temperature caused not only severe inhibition of germination but also permanent injury to the seeds. The results help to explain the germination behaviour of the species in nature.     

The effect of ions upon the response of smooth muscle to cooling

The slow tonic responses of the anterior byssus retractor of Mytilus edulis to rapid cooling were investigated by simultaneously recording tension and resting potential changes after soaking the muscle in banthine, a powerful neuromuscular blocking agent. The quantitative relations between the amount of cooling and the amount of associated depolarization necessary for contraction at various concentrations of potentiating potassium can be expressed in a family of curves. The plateaus of the curves for sea water and for potassium-free sea water were beneath the depolarization value necessary for contraction, so that it is clear that no amount of cooling with sea water alone or with potassium-free sea water would ever be effective. When the muscle is treated with subthreshold amounts of potassium and rapidly cooled in various concentrations of sodium ion and calcium ion, respectively, the sodium and calcium do not affect the amount of depolarization. Acetylcholine, in subthreshold amounts, has a potentiating effect, but, unlike potassium and cooling, acts through the nervous apparatus. Mytilus muscle will respond to cooling with tonic contraction whenever a critical threshold amount of depolarization is achieved. Cooling alone cannot trigger the contraction since it cannot bring about sufficient depolarization. Cooling can result in contraction, however, if used in conjunction with some other subthreshold depolarizing agent. Cooling affects the contractile mechanism by first causing membrane breakdown and depolarization.     

Oxygen transport during hemodilution with a perfluorocarbon-based oxygen carrier: effect of altitude and hyperoxia.

Oxygen delivery and consumption after hemodilution with a perfluorocarbon-based oxygen carrier (PFCOC) was evaluated at sea level and at 2,600 m above sea level. Fifteen anesthetized rats were subjected to a two-exchange normovolemic hemodilution of 40% of the circulating blood volume each. First exchange was performed with a colloid solution. Second exchange was with 80% PFCOC and 20% colloid. Animals were then ventilated with 100% oxygen. Experiments were performed at barometric pressure of 1.0 atm (sea-level group, n=9) or 0.74 atm (2,600-m group, n=6). Blood gases, hematocrit, fluorocrit, and hemoglobin content were measured at baseline and 15 min after each exchange. After hemodilution, total arterial content was not modified by the PFCOC in either group. In contrast, arteriovenous oxygen difference increased significantly in both groups, as did the oxygen extraction ratio. In the second exchange, although total arterial content was similar between the two groups, the perfluorocarbon and plasma phases contributed significantly more at sea level. Arteriovenous oxygen difference was significantly less at sea level with a higher contribution from the perfluorocarbon and plasma phases. In conclusion, hemodilution with a PFCOC induced changes in oxygen delivery and consumption that differ with altitude. The 2,600-m group exhibited a higher oxygen extraction ratio and arteriovenous oxygen difference, with reduced oxygen delivery and unloading from both the fluorocarbon and plasma phase. Therefore, the efficacy of PFCOCs at 2,600 m above sea level is reduced, and altitude must be taken into account when PFCOCs are used.     

Healing of experimental wounds under the effect of x-ray irradiation at high altitude]

Experiments were conducted on 969 mature rabbits; combined radiation injury (in general irradiation with 500 r and even more so in local irradiation with 2000 r) inflicated during the first two adaptation phases (particularly the first one) to the high altitide (3379 and 3640 m above the sea level) led to more profound morphological changes in the tissues and to the greater delay in the healing of the penetrating wounds on the pinna than in the valley (820 m above the sea level).     

Evaluating the effect of clustering when monitoring the abundance of sea lice populations on farmed Atlantic salmon

Using cluster random sampling theory and empirical estimates of the intra‐class correlations for sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis abundances, methods on how best to sample Atlantic salmon Salmo salar from cages on farms were derived. Estimates of intra‐class correlations for the abundance of the chalimus and mobile sea lice stages on Atlantic salmon in Scottish farms are given. These correlations were higher for mobile stages than for chalimus, and they had a substantive effect on increasing the number of cages and fish to be sampled for all sea lice stages. An important finding is that it is better to have a procedure that randomly samples a large number of cages using a small number of fish from each. This finding and the cluster random sampling approach have relevance to the monitoring of all marine species being farmed in cages or tanks.     

The hapten-carrier effect in teleost fish.

The sea robin (Prionotus evolans), a representative teleost fish, was found to undergo the hapten-carrier effect, suggestive of T-B cell cooperativity, in vivo with dinitrophenyl as the hapten and bovine gamma-globulin or bovine serum albumin as carriers. In contrast to mammalian systems, the secondary anti-hapten response in the sea robin was found to involve exclusively high molecular weight antibody.     

The effect of the size of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., eggs on embryos and alevins

A marked diversity in the durations of river and sea existence and the frequency in spawning is shown in the samples of Atlantic salmon females, which were collected over six years. The data are presented on the size and weight of eggs and their dependence on age, and size of females and the time spent at sea. A correlation was established between the size of eggs of embryos and alevins.     

The effect of submergence on heart rate and oxygen consumption of swimming seals and sea lions

Respiratory, metabolic, and cardiovascular responses to swimming were examined in two species of pinniped, the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). 1. Harbor seals remained submerged for 82-92% of the time at swimming speeds below 1.2 m.s-1. At higher speeds, including simulated speeds above 1.4 m.s-1, the percentage of time spent submerged decreased, and was inversely related to body weight. In contrast, the percentage of time spent submerged did not change with speed for sea lions swimming from 0.5 m.s-1 to 4.0 m.s-1. 2. During swimming, harbor seals showed a distinct breathhold bradycardia and ventilatory tachycardia that were independent of swimming speed. Average heart rate was 137 beats.min-1 when swimming on the water surface and 50 beats.min-1 when submerged. A bimodal pattern of heart rate also occurred in sea lions, but was not as pronounced as in the seals. 3. The weighted average heart rate (WAHR), calculated from measured heart rate and the percentage time spent on the water surface or submerged, increased linearly with swimming speed for both species. The graded increase in heart rate with exercise load is similar to the response observed for terrestrial mammals. 4. The rate of oxygen consumption increased exponentially with swimming speed in both seals and sea lions. The minimum cost of transport calculated from these rates ranged from 2.3 to 3.6 J.m-1.kg-1, and was 2.5-4.0 times the level predicted for similarly-sized salmonids. Despite different modes of propulsion and physiological responses to swimming, these pinnipeds demonstrate similar transport costs.     

The effect of salty diets and gradual transfer to sea water on osmotic adaptation, gill Na+, K+-ATPase activation, and survival of brook charr, Salvelinus fontinalis, Mitchill

The intensity and duration of the period of osmotic disturbance during introduction of brook charr into sea water were decreased by introducing the fish according to a gradient of salinity over a period of 6 days. Survival in summer increased from 25 to 90% with the use of a salinity gradient. However, kinetics and levels of activation of the gill Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase were not affected by the mode used for introducing brook charr into sea water. Neither was its level of activity modified by the use of a salted diet when the fish were in fresh water. The addition of 8 and 12% of salt to the diet prevented the plasma electrolyte surge of concentrations during the first days in sea water. In very cold water, survival rate was also drastically improved by giving an 8% salted diet during the 6 weeks preceding the introduction into sea water. These results show that both salty diets and exposure to brackish water during 6 days help brook charr face osmotic stress and improve their survival rate when introduced into full-strength sea water. The combined use of these preconditioning strategies might facilitate rearing this species in sea cages or silos.     

In vitro effect of rabbit anti sea star lymphocyte serum on axial organ cells

The axial organ (AO-cells) of the sea star Asterias rubens is a primitive immune organ. The total population was fractionated or not into two populations: adherent (B-like) and non adherent (T-like) to nylon wool. Rabbit anti sea star lymphocyte serum induces the proliferation of axial organ cells. The T-like antiserum stimulates the T-like cells exclusively; the whole axial organ cell antiserum only stimulates the whole axial organ cell population.     

The effect of 5-bromodeoxyuridine on the synthesis of nuclear and cytoplasmic DNA-binding proteins isolated from sea urchin embryos.

Newly synthesized DNA-binding proteins were isolated from the nuclei and, separately from, the cytoplasm of sea urchin mofula stage embryos. The presence of 5-bromodeoxyuridine during embryogenesis did not appear to alter the synthesis of either class of DNA-binding proteins. This result tends to argue that cell differentiation in early embryos is not regulated by differential synthesis of DNA-binding proteins. Sea urchin mofulae synthesize a broad range, by molecular weight, or cytoplasmic DNA-binding proteins which dissociate from sea urchin DNA-cellulose at relatively high salt concentrations (0.6-2.0 M NaCl). The most prominant of these apparently high-binding-affinity proteins has an approximate molecular weight of 33,000.     

Saline preferendum for the European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, larvae and juveniles: effect of salinity on early development and sex determination

The sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, is an eurhyaline marine fish. Juveniles of this species are known to frequent estuaries and lagoons where salinity is lower than in the open sea. Sex determination occurs during this phase of fish life and has been shown labile and sensitive to environmental factors. In this work, the effect of rearing salinity on sex determination and early development of the sea bass was investigated. An excess of males (87%) was found in all groups and the salinity level [(natural sea water salinity, mean: 37‰) vs. (15‰)], when maintained constant, had no effect on the sex-ratio. The transfer from low to high salinity at 93 days post-fertilization (p.f.) increased the percentage of males (93%) suggesting that sexual differentiation in this species may be influenced by such an osmotic stress. Growth was improved by a 15‰ salinity at the beginning of larval rearing (14 days p.f.) and at the end of pre-growing (234-458 days p.f.), periods during which low temperatures were applied. Survival during larval rearing and nursery were also improved in the groups reared at low salinity and so was swimbladder inflation. These results show that sea bass juveniles have a low saline preferendum, a finding that corresponds to the conditions they actually encounter in the wild during their juvenile ecophase; sex determination is not directly modulated by the salinity level but seems to be subjected to complex environmental regulations.     

A comparative study on the effect of training at altitude and at sea level on endurance and certain biochemical variables

The aim of this study was to ascertain the effects of training at altitude (1750 m. PB = 630mmHg) and at sea level (10m, PB = 760mmHg) as well as that of a period of adaptation of originally sea level-trained rats at altitude on endurance capacity. The average run time to exhaustion was 185.3 +/- 3.7 min for rats trained at altitude in comparison with 150.0 +/- 10.3 min for sea level-trained rats. After 14 days of adaptation at altitude, no significant difference in running time to exhaustion between rats trained at altitude (189.0 +/- 16.4 min) and those trained at sea level (177.2 +/- 11.6 min) was apparent. The improved endurance capacity of rats trained at altitude (when tested at altitude) is probably attributable to an increased respiratory capacity as is evident from the significantly increased levels of the citric acid cycle marker enzyme, citrate synthase (citrate oxaloacetate-lyase, EC 4.1.3.7) in the liver and gastrocnemius muscle of rats trained at altitude as compared to those trained at sea level.     

Lunar synchronization of spawning in sea bass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch): effect of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) treatment

Based on egg collection records, spontaneous spawning activity of sea bass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch), reared in floating net cages followed a semilunar cycle. The peak of multiple spawnings coincided with declining spring tides of quarter moon periods. Maximum diameter of intra-ovarian, ripe oocytes (0.51–0.55 mm) occurred in synchrony with the quarter moon periods. Smaller oocytes (0.44–0.47 mm) were sampled during the new and full moon periods. Two structural analogues of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRHa) (des-Gly¹⁰, d -Ala⁶-LHRH ethylamide and d -Ala⁶, Pro⁹-Nethylamide-LHRH), in pelleted or dissolved form, induced mature female sea bass with a mean egg diameter of at least 0.40 mm to spawn at any day during the lunar cycle. The onset of spontaneous and LHRHa-induced spawnings occurred during low tides in the evening until dawn (from 19.00 to 05.00 hours). These results demonstrate that LHRHa can effectively induce mature sea bass to spawn independent of the highly predictable semilunar spawning rhythm. In addition, the occurrence of both spontaneous and hormone-induced spawnings at a precise period of the day suggest a tidal and diurnal cue entraining spawning of mature female sea bass.     

The effect of changes in external salinity on the free amino acids and two aminotransferases of white muscle from fasted Salmo gairdneri Richardson

• 1.1. Aspartic acid. glutamic acid and serine concentrations in the white muscle of starved rainbow trout kept in diluted sea water (600 mOsm/l) for 8 days were significantly higher than in control animals kept in fresh water.
• 2.2. After 24 days the levels of all amino acids investigated (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, glycine. alanine, threonine and lysine) in the white muscle of starved rainbow trout kept in diluted sea water were higher than in the white muscle of animals kept in fresh water without food.
• 3.3. Alanine aminotransferase activity in starved rainbow trout kept in diluted sea water for 24 days was higher than in the control animals kept in fresh water.
• 4.4. There is a significant correlation between alanine concentration and alanine aminotransferase activity in the white muscle of rainbow trout.

     

The dopamine effect on sea urchin larvae depends on their age

Activation of the dopamine type-D₂ receptor in late gastrula of sea urchins is known to decrease the growth rate of post-oral arms of larvae, and, as a result, the phenotype of these larvae mimics that of larvae developing in the abundance of food. Our data indicate that the effect of dopamine on sea urchin larvae is stage-dependent. In our experiment, the early four-armed plutei (96 hours post fertilization, hpf) of Strongylocentrotus intermedius had substantially shorter post-oral arms if they developed from the larvae treated with dopamine at the early pluteus stage (48 hpf), when they had already formed the first dopaminergic neurons, as compared to the plutei from the larvae treated with dopamine at the mid to late gastrula stage (24 hpf), when they did not have any neurons yet. The pre-treatment of larvae in 6-hydroxydopamine, a neurotoxic analog of dopamine that specifically disrupts activity of dopaminergic neurons, prevented the development of the short post-oral arms phenotype in larvae. These results confirm the assumption that dopaminergic neurons play an important role in the development of the short post-oral arms phenotype in sea urchin larvae. Another finding of our study is that the dopamine treatment also affects the growth of the body rods and the overall larval body growth. Based on these observations, we suggest researchers to carefully select the developmental stage, pharmacological agents, and incubation time for experimental manipulation of sea urchin larvae phenotypes through dopaminergic nervous system.     

The effect of domestication on some life history traits of sea trout and Atlantic salmon

During the period 1968–1991, certain morphological traits of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and sea trout S. trutta have been recorded regularly at the hatchery at Älvkarleby, central Sweden. Total body length, weight (for females both before and after stripping), number of eggs, egg size and date of ovulation. A smaller data set for fish marked and released as smolts, providing information about total body length of released smolts, time spent at sea and body size of the recovered adults, was also available for analysis. According to theory and empirical data, the process of artificial breeding results in an evolutionary divergence of the cultured strain from the wild phenotypic norm. The reason for such a divergence is that both natural and sexual selection pressures are altered or relaxed during the process of artificial breeding, as well as random genetic processes, such as founder effects and in- and outbreeding. A path analysis of both species and sexes revealed that the size of the released smolts had increased during the study period. Time spent in sea has decreased for both female and male sea trout, but not for Atlantic salmon. Adult body size for female and male trout have increased as well as female trout condition factor. The increase found in egg size of both species was greater for the salmon than for the trout, indicating that female salmon invest more in egg size with increasing body size. These results support the view that domestication probably has a significant and selective impact on the life history traits of the two salmonid species studied.     

The effect of repetitive stimulation on the passive electrical properties of the presynaptic terminal of the squid giant synapse.

The resting electrical properties of the presynaptic terminal of the squid giant synapse have been determined by using constant current pulses. After short periods of repetitive stimulation, the terminal resistance, time constant and capacitance are found to be increased. These changes are absent in terminals bathed in artificial sea water containing no calcium, and sea water containing 5 mM cobalt. It seems likely that these changes are associated with transmitter release.