Lethal freezing temperatures of Arctic char and other salmonids in the presence of ice

Fletcher, George P.; Kao, Ming H.; Dempson, J. Brian

doi:10.1016/0044-8486(88)90206-2

Cited by 64 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Atlantic salmon are not freeze resistant (Fletcher et al 1988), and, as such, low levels of plasma glycerol were anticipated. The cold-acclimated smelt had higher concentrations of plasma glycerol than did salmon, capelin, and warmacclimated smelt.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Molecular Analysis, Tissue Profiles, and Seasonal Patterns of Cytosolic and Mitochondrial GPDH in Freeze-Resistant Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax)

Robinson¹,

Hall²,

Charman³

et al. 2011

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is an anadromous teleost that, beginning in late fall, accumulates plasma glycerol in excess of 200 mM, which subsequently decreases in the spring. The activity of cytosolic glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (cGPDH) is higher (i) in liver of smelt than in that of Atlantic salmon and capelin (nonglycerol accumulators), (ii) in liver of smelt maintained at 1°C than in that of smelt held at 8°-10°C, and (iii) in smelt liver than in smelt muscle, heart, brain, or kidney. In addition, transcript levels of cGPDH in liver peak in December during the onset of glycerol production and then decline over the remainder of the season. There are four cGPDH protein isoforms in smelt liver that are present regardless of glycerol production status. A minimum of four cGPDH gene copies identified by Southern blotting provide adequate genetic potential to yield multiple protein isoforms. A full-length cDNA for smelt mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (mGPDH) was cloned and characterized. The 2,790-bp cDNA contains a 109-bp 5'UTR, a 2,193-bp open reading frame, and a 488-bp 3'UTR; transcripts are ubiquitously expressed in both warm- and cold-acclimated smelt tissues. Smelt mGPDH encodes a 730-aa protein that clusters with that of zebrafish and frog and contains several common structural motifs. mGPDH transcript levels generally increase late in the seasonal glycerol cycle, and mGPDH enzyme activity increases significantly during the glycerol decrease phase. Taken together, these findings suggest that liver cGPDH and mGPDH play a key role in the glycerol accumulation and decrease phases, respectively.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Molecular Analysis, Tissue Profiles, and Seasonal Patterns of Cytosolic and Mitochondrial GPDH in Freeze-Resistant Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax)

Robinson¹,

Hall²,

Charman³

et al. 2011

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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“…Salmon can survive at lower, and even at subzero, temperatures (Fletcher et al 1988;Skuladottir et al 1990). Saunders et al (1975) reported mortality of salmon in 30 O/o salinity water at -0.7C, and Ackefors (1986) considered -0.5°C to be the lower lethal limit.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of low sea water temperature on water balance in the Atlantic salmon, (Salmo salar L.)

Lega

Chernitsky

Belkovsky

1992

Fish Physiol Biochem

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The water balance in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) overwintering in sea water (34 ‰) was investigated. With a decrease of temperature from 5.6 to 1.0°C the drinking rate decreased from 13.9 to 5.7 ml/kg/day, and the absolute amount of water absorbed decreased from 8.9 to 5.0 ml/kg/day. A decrease in temperature led, however, to an increase in the proportion of water absorbed in the intestines from 60 to 96%. Blood serum osmolarity increased from 320 to 440 mosm/1 with decreasing temperature and there was a reduction in tissue water content from 75 to 69% The disturbance of water balance at low temperature may be one of the factors responsible for mortality of salmon overwintering in sea water.

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“…Experiments with juvenile and adult teleosts from both temperate and polar regions consistently show that the organismal FPs of these fish, while in contact with external ice, are never more than a few tenths of a degree (°C) below the FP of their blood (Fletcher et al, 1988(Fletcher et al, , 1986Tien, 1995). For polar species, this attests to the need for AFPs, as seawater temperatures can often be lower than the colligative FP of teleost blood and ice is common in the surface waters of the polar seas.…”

Section: Freezing Resistance Of Larval Fishesmentioning

confidence: 94%

Freezing resistance of antifreeze-deficient larval Antarctic fish

Cziko

Evans

Cheng

et al. 2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Antarctic notothenioids, along with many other polar marine fishes, have evolved biological antifreeze proteins (AFPs) to survive in their icy environments. The larvae of Antarctic notothenioid fish hatch into the same frigid environment inhabited by the adults, suggesting that they must also be protected by sufficient AFPs, but this has never been verified. We have determined the contribution of AFPs to the freezing resistance of the larvae of three species: Gymnodraco acuticeps, Pagothenia borchgrevinki and Pleuragramma antarcticum. Of the three, only P. borchgrevinki larvae are protected by high, adult levels of AFPs. Hatchling G. acuticeps and P. antarcticum have drastically inadequate AFP concentrations to avoid freezing at the ambient seawater temperature (-1.91°C). We raised G. acuticeps larvae and measured the AFP levels in their blood for ~5 months post hatching. Larval serum freezing point was -1.34±0.04°C at the time of hatch; it began to decrease only after 30 days post hatch (d.p.h.), and finally reached the adult value (-2.61±0.03°C) by 147·d.p.h. Additionally, AFP concentrations in their intestinal fluids were very low at hatching, and did not increase with age throughout a sampling period of 84·d.p.h.Surviving in a freezing environment without adequate AFP protection suggests that other mechanisms of larval freezing resistance exist. Accordingly, we found that G. acuticeps hatchlings survived to -3.6±0.1°C while in contact with external ice, but only survived to -1.5±0.0°C when ice was artificially introduced into their tissues. P. antarcticum larvae were similarly resistant to organismal freezing. The gills of all three species were found to be underdeveloped at the time of hatch, minimizing the risk of ice introduction through these delicate structures. Thus, an intact integument, underdeveloped gill structures and other physical barriers to ice propagation may contribute significantly to the freezing resistance and survival of these larval fishes in the icy conditions of the Southern Ocean.

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Lethal freezing temperatures of Arctic char and other salmonids in the presence of ice

Cited by 64 publications

References 15 publications

Molecular Analysis, Tissue Profiles, and Seasonal Patterns of Cytosolic and Mitochondrial GPDH in Freeze-Resistant Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax)

Molecular Analysis, Tissue Profiles, and Seasonal Patterns of Cytosolic and Mitochondrial GPDH in Freeze-Resistant Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax)

Effect of low sea water temperature on water balance in the Atlantic salmon, (Salmo salar L.)

Freezing resistance of antifreeze-deficient larval Antarctic fish

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