Evolutionary Adaptation and Disaptation in the Cold: the Icefish Paradigm

Tota, Bruno; Amelio, Daniela; Garofalo, Filippo; Pellegrino, Daniela

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27352-0_7

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 93 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, reduction in Hb concentration is common in many teleost species, possibly as a strategy for reducing blood viscosity in the cold (an energetic benefit) and/or because of relaxed selection for Hb-mediated oxygen transport in typically well-oxygenated waters where diffusion-based processes can suffice (Bargelloni et al, 1998;di Prisco et al, 2002;Beers and Sidell, 2011). Nonetheless, functional disaptations (traits whose use to the organism is discernibly inferior to that of a phylogenetically antecedent trait) of the cardiovascular system have been suggested for genetic loss of Hb and Mb (Montgomery and Clements, 2000;Sidell and O'Brien, 2006;Garofalo et al, 2009;Tota et al, 2012), which may have far-reaching implications in the face of environmental change. Also along these lines, O'Brien and colleagues revealed that hearts of icefishes lack the mitochondrial isoform of creatine kinase, an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in energy flux by catalyzing the reversible transfer of phosphate between creatine and ADP (O'Brien et al, 2014).…”

Section: Loss Of Major Hemoproteinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antarctic notothenioid fish: what are the future consequences of ‘losses’ and ‘gains’ acquired during long-term evolution at cold and stable temperatures?

Beers

Jayasundara

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Antarctic notothenioids dominate the fish fauna of the Southern Ocean. Evolution for millions of years at cold and stable temperatures has led to the acquisition of numerous biochemical traits that allow these fishes to thrive in sub-zero waters. The gain of antifreeze glycoproteins has afforded notothenioids the ability to avert freezing and survive at temperatures often hovering near the freezing point of seawater. Additionally, possession of cold-adapted proteins and membranes permits them to sustain appropriate metabolic rates at exceptionally low body temperatures. The notothenioid genome is also distinguished by the disappearance of traits in some species, losses that might prove costly in a warmer environment. Perhaps the best-illustrated example is the lack of expression of hemoglobin in white-blooded icefishes from the family Channichthyidae. Loss of key elements of the cellular stress response, notably the heat shock response, has also been observed. Along with their attainment of cold tolerance, notothenioids have developed an extreme stenothermy and many species perish at temperatures only a few degrees above their habitat temperatures. Thus, in light of today's rapidly changing climate, it is critical to evaluate how these extreme stenotherms will respond to rising ocean temperatures. It is conceivable that the remarkable cold specialization of notothenioids may ultimately leave them vulnerable to future thermal increases and threaten their fitness and survival. Within this context, our review provides a current summary of the biochemical losses and gains that are known for notothenioids and examines these cold-adapted traits with a focus on processes underlying thermal tolerance and acclimation capacity.

show abstract