Protein and nucleic acid metabolism as proxies for growth and fitness of Oithona davisae (Copepoda, Cyclopoida) early developmental stages

Effect of temperature and food concentration on the relationship between growth and AARS activity in Paracartia grani nauplii

“…On the contrary, nauplii feeding on saturating food concentrations showed a clear relationship between growth rates and specific AARS s activity. This observed variability could be due to one or, most probably, different factors combined, such as i) food limitation of growth and protein synthesis rates, ii) the relative importance of the protein turnover rates in relation to the 'de novo' protein synthesis rates of the nauplii, which would lead to anomalously high spAARS s values on organisms under starvation, as previously observed in A. bifilosa females by Holmborn et al (2009), and Oithona davisae nauplii by Yebra et al (2011); iii) the body size of the nauplii (as suggested by the relationship observed between spAARS s activity and individual biomass) and iv) the different developmental stages reached by the nauplii in each food treatment. In this sense, under low food conditions nauplii may not reach their first feeding stage, and the pre-feeding stages might have different protein metabolism and growth pathways that the feeding ones.…”

Geographic variability in taxonomic composition, standing stock, and productivity of the mesozooplankton community around the Kuroshio Current in the East China Sea

“…This is important because protein synthetase activity is a widely accepted index of nutritional condition and growth in zooplankton populations (Yebra, Berdalet, et al., ; Yebra, Harris, Wilson, Davidson, & Montagnes, ; Yebra & Hernández‐Léon, ; Yebra et al., ). Community‐based protein synthetase activities measured in the three regions were much higher than those in the Greenland Sea (Yebra, Berdalet, et al., ; Yebra, Harris, et al., ) and comparable to those at the Australian tropical coast (McKinnon et al., ), indicating high productivity. Yebra, Hernández‐Léon, Almeida, Bécognée, and Rodríguez () also used measured protein synthetase activity to demonstrate that the copepod productivity is enhanced by high phytoplankton biomass.…”

“…In spite of these assumptions, our estimated production rates were similar to measured protein synthetase activity, which did not significantly differ between the KR and IKR (Figures 4 and 7). This is important because protein synthetase activity is a widely accepted index of nutritional condition and growth in zooplankton populations (Yebra, Berdalet, et al, 2011;Yebra, Harris, Wilson, Davidson, & Montagnes, 2011;Yebra et al, 2005). Community-based protein synthetase activities measured in the three regions were much higher than those in the Greenland Sea (Yebra, Berdalet, et al, 2011;Yebra, Harris, et al, 2011)…”

Ontogenetic variations in dry mass and nucleic acid contents of <i>Artemia salina</i>

“…In particular, individual contents of nucleic acids and their ratio are known to be representative of growth for some taxonomic groups (e.g., Gusmão & McKinnon 2011, Gorokhova et al 2014. Indeed, previous studies have demonstrated that individual contents of nucleic acids and their ratio could be a proxy for weight-specific growth in crustaceans (Dagg & Littlepage 1972, Båmsted & Skjoldal 1980, Ota & Landry 1984, Wagner et al 2001, Vrede et al 2002, Yebra et al 2011. However, a species-specific calibration would be required for this approach when individual contents of nucleic acids and their ratio vary among species and life stages (e.g., Gorokhova & Kyle 2002, Ikeda et al 2007.…”

“…Indeed, nucleic acid compositions have been suggested as an indicator of growth and nutritional condition in various crustacean species and life-stages (e.g., Dagg & Littlepage 1972, Ota & Landry 1984, Wagner et al 2001, Gorokhova & Kyle 2002, Becker et al 2005, Yebra et al 2005. As examples, RNA/DNA ratios could be a proxy for weightspecific growth rates (e.g., Wagner et al 2001, Gorokhova & Kyle 2002, Yebra et al 2011, and individual body mass to DNA content ratios can be representative of cellular size (Gorokhova & Kyle 2002). However, we have limited information on how nucleic acid contents are synchronized with development and growth over various life stages in crustaceans, such as what potential errors in growth rate measurements might be associated with discontinuous weight increments in molts or with egg production (Hirst et al 2001(Hirst et al , 2005.…”