CO2 Excretion Across Isolated Perfused Crab Gills: Facilitation by Carbonic Anhydrase

Crab gill carbonic anhydrase is shown to facilitate the excretionof carbondioxide across isolated perfused gills. A techniquefor perfusing crab gills and assessing the metabolic viabilityof perfused gills is also described in detail. The techniqueis used to follow the disappearance of ¹⁴C label as HCO₃^–and CO₂ from internal perfusate passing through the gill. Theexcretion of the label increases with the flow rate of the externalperfusate across the outside of the gills. The addition of carbonican hydrase to the internal perfusate results in a two- to fourfoldincrease in the excretion of label while Diamox (acetazolamide)treatment decreases the excretion of label by half. It is alsosuggested that carbonic anhydrase, present in muscle tissuesof crabs, minimizes the disequilibrium of the hemolymph CO₂system as metabolically produced CO₂ leaves the tissues andenters the hemolymph. Parallels are drawn between the presenceof carbonic anhydrase in the crab gill system and the presenceof this enzyme in the respiratory organs of both aquatic andterrestrial animals.