Allelic esterase isozymes,their variation with season,position on the shore and stage of development in the cirripede Balanus balanoides

Samples of Balanus balanoides (L.) in the Menai Straits were taken from their upper limit of distribution on the shore, from mean low water (MLW) and at three different times of the year, January, May and August. Individual prosomae were homogenised, electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gels and esterase isozymes determined. Group BbEI esterase isozymes fitted the Hardy-Weinberg predicted values for 4 co-dominant alleles in all samples. A comparison of BbEI phenotype frequency distribution of the upper shore and MLW samples showed no significant difference at the 5% level. The phenotype frequency of samples taken at different times of the year were significantly different at the 5% level, due to an excess of allele A in winter and an excess of allele C in summer. It is argued that the seasonal variation of phenotype frequency is probably not due to selection operating on a balanced polymorphism, but that the expression of the alleles through the synthesis of esterase isozymes is dependent on some environmental agent, postibly temperature or day length.     

Effects of an Odh null allele and a GPI low-activity allozyme on shell length in laboratory-reared Mytilus edulis

Mytilus edulis L. heterozygotes with a null allele at the octopine dehydrogenase (Odh) locus or an allele coding for low activity at the glucose phosphate isomerase (Gpi) locus were found to grow significantly faster (p(0.05) than other juvenile mussels in the same laboratory cultures. Odh null homozygotes were not significantly different in growth from mussels with active Odh alleles. No additive effects were seen in individuals which had both the Odh null allele and the allele coding for low GPI activity. These results do not support the contention that null alleles are a significant cause of the observed correlation between multiple-locus heterozygosity and fitness in mussels. The apparent deficiencies of heterozygotes against Hardy-Weinberg expectations observed at the Odh locus in two Netherlands M. edulis populations can be more than accounted for by the null-allele frequency calculated, assuming Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, from the observed frequency of null homozygotes in these populations.     

Determination of enzymatic activities for the characterization of sediments

In‐vivo enzymatic activity tests have been used for the characterization of sediments. Sediment samples representing three typical situations on the river Elbe and one reference site on the river Spree were investigated from March to October 1993. Fresh sediments and pore water were analyzed for their dehydrogenase and proteolytic enzymatic activities, respectively. The dehydrogenase and protease activities varied depending on sampling site, date and kind of sample. From the mean values of the dehydrogenase activities over the whole period of investigation significant differences between the sampling sites became evident. The dehydrogenase activity of pore water rather than that of the whole sediment is suitable to differentiate between anthropogenically influenced and not influenced sites. The dehydrogenase activities in the contaminated samples were extremly higher than those in the uncontaminated samples. In contrast to this, samples from the uncontaminated sites showed a considerably higher specific proteolytic activity. This fact is interpreted as a possible enzymatic inhibition.     

Assessment of temporal and spatial variations in water quality using multivariate statistical methods： a case study of the Xin＇anjiang River,China

This study evaluated the temporal and spatial variations of water quality data sets for the Xin＇anjiang River through the use of multivariate statistical techniques, including cluster analysis （CA）, discriminant analysis （DA）, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis （PCA）. The water samples, measured by ten parameters, were collected every month for three years （2008-2010） from eight sampling stations located along the river. The hierarchical CA classified the 12 months into three periods （First, Second and Third Period） and the eight sampling sites into three groups （Groups 1, 2 and 3） based on seasonal differences and various pollution levels caused by physicochemical properties and anthropogenic activ- ities. DA identified three significant parameters （tempera- ture, pH and E.coli） to distinguish temporal groups with close to 76% correct assignment. The DA also discovered five parameters （temperature, electricity conductivity, total nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus） for spatial variation analysis, with 80.56% correct assignment. The non-parametric correlation coefficient （Spear- man R） explained the relationship between the water quality parameters and the basin characteristics, and the GIS made the results visual and direct. The PCA identified four PCs for Groups 1 and 2, and three PCs for Group 3. These PCs captured 68.94%, 67.48% and 70.35% of the total variance of Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Although natural pollution affects the Xin＇anjiang River, the main sources of pollution included agricultural activities, industrial waste, and domestic wastewater.     

Isolation of a new toxin from the sponge Latrunculia magnifica in the Gulf of Aquaba (Red Sea)

The sponge Latrunculia magnifica was found to be toxic for fish. A toxin has been isolated from this sponge by organic extraction-column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography. Several chemical properties of the toxin were determined by spectroscopic analysis. Toxicity tests were performed on the fish Gambusia affinis. In vitro experiments showed the toxin to be a cholinesterase inhibitor.     

铜、镉、敌敌畏和甲胺磷对南美白对虾的亚急性毒性作用

在恒温和充气条件下,研究了重金属(铜、镉)和有机磷农药(敌敌畏、甲胺磷)对南美白对虾的亚急性毒性作用及对虾体胆碱酯酶的影响.结果表明:南美白对虾幼虾在各浓度重金属(铜、镉)和有机磷农药(敌敌畏、甲胺磷)试液中经过60d的亚急性中毒试验,除铜在低浓度促进生长外,其他各组体长、体重及蜕皮次数均小于对照组,且随毒物浓度的增加而逐渐降低;有机磷农药对南美白对虾体内胆碱酯酶具有显著影响,虾体内胆碱酯酶含量随水体中有机磷农药浓度的升高而显著降低;重金属对胆碱酯酶也有一定影响,胆碱酯酶随重金属离子浓度升高也有逐渐降低的趋势,但重金属对胆碱酯酶的影响效果没有有机磷农药显著.     

Haemocyanin concentration of juvenile lobsters (Homarus gammarus) in relation to moulting cycle and feeding conditions

Groups of laboratory-reared, juvenile lobsters (Homarus gammarus, 40–50 g wet weight) were given different types of food (shrimp, mixed invertebrates and pellets, bivalves, starved) for a period of 22 wk. Haemocyanin concentration was measured weekly, moult stage and moultings noted. Haemocyanin concentration decreased rapidly in the starved group (from 0.8–0.6 to 0.2 mM). The group fed with bivalves showed a small decline with time, to 0.5–0.3 mM at the end of the period, indicating a deficient diet. The haemocyanin in the other groups did not change significantly during the experiment. Moultings decreased in frequency and the intermoult period was prolonged when the quality of food was decreased, and in the starved group moulting ceased completely after 1.5 months. Haemocyanin concentration was lowest immediately after moult and increased gradually through stages C and D. Lobsters that were starved or maintained on the bivalve diet did not reach the same premoult haemocyanin levels as those fed with shrimps and mixed food.     

The human serum paraoxonase—Polymorphism and specificity

Human serum contains EDTA‐sensitive (Ca⁺⁺‐dependent) and EDTA‐stable (albumin) paraoxonases which hydrolyse paraoxon, 0,0‐diethyl,0–4‐nitrophenyl phosphate.

In Caucasians the EDTA‐sensitive enzyme shows a genetically determined polymorphism which is governed by two alleles. In typical Mongoloid or Negro populations this polymorphism is expressed to a lesser degree, and in a few samples (e.g. Aborigines) it cannot be observed at all. The distribution of the activity of the EDTA‐stable (albumin) paraoxonase is unimodal.

Many authors supposed that paraoxonase is an arylesterase (EC 3.1.1.2) which means that it is also able to hydrolyse phenylacetate or β‐naphthylacetate. New investigations have shown that the human serum fractions splitting paraoxon can be separated from those hydrolysing phenylacetate and related substrates.

The polymorphism of the EDTA‐sensitive human serum paraoxonase can be applied to investigations concerning specificity. From this it becomes evident that this enzyme is rather specific. Already slight changes of the paraoxon molecule lead to a decrease of activity. On the other hand the enzyme seems to hydrolyse also phosphonic acid esters and 4‐nitrophenylacetate in the same way like paraoxon (polymorphism).

There is a linkage relationship of paraoxonase with cystic fibrosis and DNA markers. According to these results the (EDTA‐sensitive) paraoxonase locus is on the human chromosome 7.

A high serum paraoxonase level actually protects serum cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) and has to be considered in biological monitoring of workers exposed to parathion.     

Relation between respiration,excretion (ammonia and inorganic phosphorus) and activity of amylase and trypsin in different species of pelagic copepods from an Indian Ocean equatorial area

The relationship between respiration, nitrogen and phosphorus excretion and specific activity of amylase and trypsin was investigated from shipboard experiments with several species of copepods from the equatorial divergence area of the Indian Ocean, in June 1978. Statistical analysis of O:N ratios in 6 of the most common species revealed three main groups: a group displaying low O:N (Pontella fera, Candacia pachydactyla); a group with high O:N (Undinula darwini, Euchaeta marina, Temora discaudata); and a species displaying an intermediate O:N ratio: Scolecithrix bradyi. O:P and N:P did not differ significantly between species. There was a direct relationship between average O:N and the ratios of specific activity of the digestive enzymes amylase and trypsin. Species displaying low O:N and/or A:T ratios such as P. fera, C. pachydactyla and Oncaea venusta probably metabolize proteins more efficiently than they do plant carbohydrates (high nitrogen excretion and low amylase activity). Species displaying high O:N and A:T ratios, such as U. darwini, E. marina and T. dicaudata (low nitrogen excretion and high amylase activity) were assumed to use carbohydrates (starch) and proteins with equal efficiency. S. bradyi showed a large range of variations in trypsin activity and low amylase activity, resulting in a low average A:T ratio, but its O:N ratio was intermediate. Variations in O:N and O:P ratios were related to differences in the nutritional strategy of the different species, based on literature data concerning the anatomy of their mouth parts and their selectivity for animal material in mixed-food experiments.     

Comparaison biochimique de quatre espèces de copépodes planctoniques de Méditerranée nord-occidentale à partir des enzymogrammes des estérases,de la leucine aminopeptidase,de la phosphatase alcaline,de la malate déshydrogénase et de l'enzyme malique

Four copepod species (Acartia clausi, Centropages typicus, Temora stylifera, Calanus helgolandicus) from the northwest Mediterranean were subjected to electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel in an attempt to distinguish specific biochemical characteristics for each species. Enzymograms of 5 enzymes were studied: esterases, leucine aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, malate dehydrogenase and the malic enzyme. Marked interspecific differences were revealed, enabling specific biochemical identities to be established which can be useful as taxonomic criteria in the same way as morphological characteristics. The study was performed during different seasons in 1980.     

黄河三角洲不同植被类型土壤酶活性的季节变化

黄河三角洲自然保护区的酶活性季节特征一定程度影响了该地植被分布类型,为研究黄河三角洲自然保护区不同植被土壤酶活性的季节特征,分别选取碱蓬(Suaeda salsa)、柽柳(Tamarix chinensis)、芦苇(Phragmites communis)、刺槐(Black Locust)和高粱(Sorghum)5种典...     

Studies on the nutrition of marine flatfish. The effect of dietary protein content on certain cell components and enzymes in the liver of Pleuronectes platessa

In order to examine the effects of artificial diets at the tissue level, plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) were fed either high (50%) or low (20%) protein diets for several weeks and the total quantities of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), protein and phospholipid in their livers were measured. Alanine amino-transferase, aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphatase activities in the livers were also measured. Similar measurements were made on the livers of wild plaice. The total amount of DNA in the livers of both cultured and wild plaice, of standard weight, did not differ significantly, irrespective of dietary history. In fish of standard weight, total hepatic RNA, protein and phospholipid levels were highest in the cultured fish fed high protein diet and lowest in the wild fish. These differences were related to dietary protein supply and environmental temperature. The total organ levels of the liver enzymes in plaice of equal weight were not significantly different in the cultured fish fed high and low protein diets. Wild-fish livers contained a smaller total amount of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and glucose-6-phosphatase activity than did those of cultured fish. Total liver glutamate dehydrogenase activity was not significantly different in any of the fish examined. It is suggested that kinetic and allosteric factors may be more important in controlling protein metabolism and amino acid cat abolism in fish than total enzyme level.     

Aggressive mating as a tragedy of the commons in the water strider Aquarius remigis

The tragedy of the commons usually refers to the overexploitation of resources such as food or water. Here, we show in a laboratory study that competition among males for females can also result in a tragedy of the commons’ situation. Male water striders (Aquarius remigis) vary widely in their aggressiveness toward pursuing females. The most aggressive males prevent females from feeding and cause them to leave the water surface, where they are unavailable to all males. Groups of nonaggressive males are collectively three times more fit than groups of hyperaggressive males, but hyperaggressive males are more successful than nonaggressive males within mixed groups. This is the classic tragedy of the commons’ situation, and it is likely to occur in many species that exhibit sexual conflict. We have also shown that individual differences in male aggression are stable across time and are not influenced by food or light regime, although all individuals become nonaggressive in the presence of fish predators.     

Studies on the role of six enzymes in the metabolism of kinetin in mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.)

The activity of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, O-demethylase, ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase, belonging to two main classes of detoxification enzymes (i.e. hydrolases and oxido-reductases), mostly involved in metabolism and degradation of xenobiotics in insects, were assessed under the influence of kinetin, a plant growth regulator (PGR). The nymphs (48-52 hr old) of Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.) were permitted to feed on radish plant, Raphanus sativus L. treated with kinetin (400 ppm) for 13, 25 and 37 hr. It was found that the activity of catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase increased significantly when compared with the control of the same age group, which indicated that these enzymes might be playing a significant role in the metabolism of kinetin in this insect. The activity of O-demethylase showed an increase up to 25 hr of the treatment but it decreased under prolonged treatment whereas the activity of succinate dehydrogenase fluctuated insignificantly. ATPase showed a decrease in the activity with the treatment suggesting kinetin's interference in synthesis of ATPase.     

Genetic diversity and relatedness of the mangrove Rhizophora mangle L. (Rhizophoraceae) using amplified fragment polymorphism (AFLP) among locations in Florida, USA and the Caribbean

Rhizophora mangle L. is a widespread mangrove species in the Western Hemisphere. Mangrove habitat loss and their importance to coastal and reef ecosystems make greater understanding of their genetic structure useful for conservation and management. An amplified fragment polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was performed on samples from Florida and the Caribbean to discover the genetic structure present. R. mangle had variable genetic diversity not related to latitude; P ranged 7 %–92 %. Some other factor, perhaps human impact, has caused low genetic diversity in some populations. Across Florida R. mangle populations varied in genetic diversity with less diversity (G_st?=?0.195) and greater gene flow on the Atlantic coast (Nm =2.07) than on the Gulf coast (G_st?=?0.717, Nm?=?0.197). Gene flow between Caribbean islands was low (Nm?=?0.386) compared to continental populations (Nm?=?1.40), indicating that long distance dispersal is not common between islands. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) analysis showed significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations at the level of region among subpopulations and overall genetic difference among subpopulations for R. mangle. One implication for management is that small continental populations and island populations may be genetically isolated and distinct from each other.     

Enzyme activities of fish skeletal muscle and brain as influenced by depth of occurrence and habits of feeding and locomotion

Activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), pyruvate kinase (PK), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and citrate synthase (CS) were measured in the white skeletal muscle of marine fishes having different depths of occurrence and different feeding and locomotory strategies. There were significant depth-related differences in the two glycolytic enzymes, LDH and PK. LDH activity was most variable, and differed by 3 orders of magnitude between the most active shallow-living species and certain deep-sea fishes likely to have only minimal capacities for active locomotion. Superimposed on the depth-related patterns was a high degree of interspecific variation (up to 20-fold) in enzymic activity among species from any given range of depth of occurrence. Variation of both LDH and PK activities, noted for shallow- and deep-living fishes, seems to be largely accounted for by differences in feeding habits and locomotory performance. Active pelagic swimmers have much higher activities of LDH and PK than, for example, deep-living sit-and-wait predators. Benthopelagic fishes like rattails and the sablefish have the highest activities found among deep-living fishes, suggesting that these species engage in relatively active food-searching behavior compared to most other deep-sea fishes. The activity of CS, an enzyme of the citric acid cycle and an indicator of aerobic metabolism, varied little among species. Thus, the large interspecific variation in glycolytic potential (LDH and PK) among species is not associated with a similar variation in aerobic metabolism of white muscle. The much higher and more variable activity of MDH relative to CS suggests that, in addition to its function in the citric acid cycle, MDH may play an important role in redox balance in fish white muscle. In a comparison of white muscle composition between the shallow- and deep-living species, water content did not differ significantly, but protein content was significantly higher in shallow- than in deep-living fishes (211 and 130 mg g^-1 wet wt of muscle, respectively). The differences in muscle protein content are small relative to the differences between shallow- and deep-living species in LDH, PK and MDH activities. Thus, depthrelated differences in muscle enzymic activity are caused by factors other than enzyme dilution. Enzyme activities (LDH, PK and CS) in brain tissue were relatively constant among species regardless of depth of occurrence or feeding and locomotory habits. Habitat and lifestyle do not seem to influence the demands for overall metabolic function in brain. The utility of muscle enzymic activity data for making predictions about the ecological characteristics of difficult-to-observe, deep-living, fishes is discussed.     

Evaluation of the possible role of five enzymes in the metabolism of IBA in mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.)

The enzymatic activity of five enzymes viz. Glutathione S-transferases, Esterases, NADH dehydrogenase, NADH oxidase and Glutathione reductase were assessed under the influence of Indole butyric acid (IBA) (400 ppm) in the nymphs (48-52h old) of mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi fed on radish plants treated for 13, 25 and 37h. The activity of Glutathione S-transferases, Esterases and NADH dehydrogenase increased compared to that found in the control of the same age group of nymphs and it was concluded that these enzymes might be involved in the metabolism of IBA. The other two enzymes, NADH oxidase and Glutathione reductase showed no significant increase in their activity compared to that in the control of the same age group. It was hypothesized that the latter enzymes do not play any significant role in the metabolism of IBA.     

Castrating effects of trematode larvae on the reproductive success of a highly parasitized population of Crepipatella dilatata (Caenogastropoda) in Argentina

Crepipatella dilatata (Calyptraeidae) is a common intertidal or shallow subtidal protandric hermaphroditic gastropod. Intertidal snails from Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina (42°46′37″S, 64°54′51″ W), showed a high prevalence, up to 46?%, of a castrating larval microphallid trematode. Reproductive success was studied during a 2-year period from September 2007 to August 2009, and the results were compared to those from an unparasitized subtidal sample. Brooding females and males were never found infected. The proportion of brooding females was higher in months with a higher prevalence of infection. The number of brooding females in the intertidal sample was higher than in the subtidal sample. Generalized linear models were utilized to determine the effects of parasitism on the reproductive success of the host population. Anticipated reproduction in smaller females in the intertidal sample, increased reproductive success in months with higher prevalence, and unparasitized males are interpreted as fitness responses to ensure host population survival when the prevalence of trematode infection is high.     

Physiological basis of extreme growth rate differences in the spat of oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Juvenile oysters (Crassostrea gigas) (produced in November 2009) reared under uniform hatchery conditions for 4 months were selected for extreme growth rate differences by repeatedly taking larger and smaller individuals to achieve weight differences >30× between fast (F) and slow (S) growers. The physiological basis of differential growth was analyzed in experiments in June 2010, where components of energy gain (clearance and ingestion rates and absorption efficiency), energy loss (metabolic rates) and resulting scope for growth (J h^?1) were compared for groups of F and S oysters fed three different ration levels (≈0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 mg of total particulate matter L^?1). In both F and S oysters, a higher food ration promoted asymptotic increases in energy gain rates through regulatory adjustments to clearance rates, which maintained similar absorption efficiencies across the food concentrations. No significant differences were found between growth groups in mass-specific physiological rates (i.e., per unit of body mass). However, the scaling of these rates to a common size in both groups using allometric coefficients derived for C. gigas revealed higher energy gain rates coupled with lower metabolic costs of growth in fast growers. Thus, appropriate size-standardization is essential in accounting for observed differences in growth rate. Present results are in accordance with previous reports on other bivalve species on the physiological processes underlying endogenous growth differences, suggesting that the same interpretation can be applied to the extremes of these differences.     

Vitamin E-mediated protection on methomyl-induced alterations in rat liver

The present study was carried out to observe the possible beneficial effects of Vitamin E, a natural antioxidant on methomyl-induced biochemical and histological alterations in rat liver. To carry out the investigations, animals were segregated in four different groups. Animals in Group I served as normal controls. Animals in Group II were given single methomyl dose orally in water (9 mg kg^?1 b.wt). Animals in Group III were injected intraperitoneally with Vitamin E (50 mg kg^?1 b.wt) for 1 week on alternate days. Animals in Group IV were administered Vitamin E 1 week before subjecting them to methomyl treatment. Animals in all the groups were sacrificed 24 h after the end of treatments. Different biochemical estimations were carried out, which included estimation of aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Further, to examine the oxidative damage lipid peroxidation (LPO) and glutathione (GSH) levels as well as antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and glutathione-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were estimated in liver samples. AchE activity was inhibited significantly both in serum and liver following methomyl treatment. Administration of methomyl caused a significant increase in serum AST, ALT and ALP which indicated hepatic damage. LPO was found to be significantly increased, whereas GSH levels were decreased in the liver of methomyl-treated animals. The activities of SOD and catalase were significantly decreased whereas GST and GSHPx activities were found to be elevated significantly following methomyl treatment. No significant change in the enzyme activity of GR and glutathione-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase was observed after methomyl treatment. Vitamin E supplementation was able to attenuate appreciably the methomyl-induced changes in LPO levels along with SOD and GST activities. Histopathological studies following methomyl treatment revealed that hepatocytes, were not very well delineated and nuclei showed degenerative changes. Whereas, following Vitamin E supplementation in combined treatment group nuclei showing degenerative changes become less in number. The study, therefore, concludes that Vitamin E has a potential in mitigating most of the adverse effects induced by methomyl acute toxicity.