Effect of light on the total lipid content and storage lipids of the symbiotic sea anemoneAnemonia viridis

In order to examine the effect of light level on the storage lipids of the symbiotic sea anemoneAnemonia virudis (Forskäl), anemones were exposed to three experimental light regimes of 10, 100 and 300 E m^-2s^-1. Anemones were fed once a week. After 30 d there were no significant differences in the total lipid levels between anemones at any of the light intensities. However, after 60 d lipids had increased in proportion to light level in both the animal-tissue and zooxanthellae compartments. The higher levels of total lipid were in part due to increases in storage lipid (wax esters and triglycerides). Wax ester levels increased in the animal tissues but remained constant in the zooxanthellae, whereas triglycerides increased in both compartments. In contrast to fed anemones, starved anemones which were maintained at 300 E m^-2s^-1 for 30 or 60 d did not show a statistically significant change in lipid levels at 60 d, although a slight increase in the lipid level was observed. However, there was a significant increase in the storage lipids, which suggested that the non-storage phospholipids and structural lipids had declined as a result of cellular catabolism. The composition of the wax esters and triglycerides of both fed and starved anemones was analysed and compositional changes were observed at higher light intensities.     

Copper uptake by the sea anemoneAnemonia viridis and the role of zooxanthellae in metal regulation

Anemonia viridis (Forskäl) were collected from south-west Scotland and south-west England in October 1988. When exposed to 0.05 and 0.2mg 1^–1 copper in sea water, anemones did not take up the metal in proportion to external concentrations. Results suggested thatA. viridis regulated copper by expelling symbiotic algae (or zooxanthellae) which were shown to accumulate copper. The use of aposymbiotic (non-zooxanthellate) anemones in similar metal-uptake experiments indicated that other mechanisms may also be involved in metal regulation. Mucus was produced byA. viridis when the anemone was exposed to copper, and it is proposed that mucus may be involved in the regulation process. The implication of this work on the use of coelenterates as biological indicators of environmental metal levels is discussed.     

Lipids of some Caribbean and Red Sea corals: total lipid,wax esters,triglycerides and fatty acids

The Caribbean reef-building corals Porites porites (Pallas) and Montastrea annularis (Ellis and Solander) and the Red Sea corals Pocillopora verrucosa (Ellis and Solander), Stylophora pistillata (Esper) and Goniastrea retiformis (Lamark) were analysed for total lipid, wax ester and triglyceride content, and fatty acid composition. M. annularis contained about 32% of dry weight as total lipid, whereas much lower values of between 11 and 17% were recorded for the other four species. It is concluded that there is greater variation in coral total lipid than hitherto thought. The total lipid contained a substantial proportion of wax ester (22 to 49%) and triglyceride (18 to 37%). The storage lipids (wax esters and triglycerides) accounted for between 6 and 20% of the dry weight and between 46 and 73% of the total lipid. Variation in lipid content between species could not be attributed to geographical location, but the low values for total lipid in Red Sea corals may in part be due to environmental factors as these samples were collected in winter. All corals analysed contained high levels of saturated fatty acids, the most abundant fatty acids being 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1n-9. Marked differences were observed in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content between species, with comparatively low levels of 10 and 11% of fatty acids being recorded in M. annularis and G. retiformis, respectively. The values for the other species ranged between 21 and 37%. Fatty acid composition may vary according to the proportions of fatty acids obtained from diet, algal photosynthesis and synthesis by the animal tissues.     

Symbiont photosynthesis increases both respiration and photosynthesis in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis

Dark respiration of the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis (Forskäl) was observed to increase by 34% when anemones were exposed to hyperoxic sea water (150% oxygen saturation) overnight, and by 39% after exposure to 6 h in the light at a saturating irradiance of 300 E m^-2 s^-1 at normoxia (100% oxygen saturation). No increase due to light stimulation was observed in aposymbiotic control anemones. In darkness, the oxygen concentration of the coelenteric fluid was hypoxic. However, within 10 min of anemones being illuminated, coelenteric fluid was hyperoxic, and it remained elevated throughout a 12 h light period. When measured over a 24 h period (12 h light: 12 h dark), the dark respiration rate increased gradually over the first 6 h of the light period until it was 35% above the dark night-time resting rate. It remained elevated throughout the remaining light period and for 2 h into the following dark period, after which it fell back to the resting rate. Gross photosynthesis (P ^gross) increased significantly when anemones were exposed to either hyperoxia (150% oxygen saturation) or 300 E m^-2 s^-1 at normoxia. This increase was not observed when symbiotic anemones were illuminated at a low-light intensity of 100 E m^-2 s^-1. The results of this study suggest that respiration in the dark is limited by oxygen diffusion and that normal respiration is restored in the daytime by utilisation of the oxygen released by photosynthesis. Furthermore, it appears that the increased respiration following exposure to high-light intensities provides a CO₂-rich intracellular environment which further enhances the photosynthetic rate of the zooxanthellae.     

Primary site and initial products of ammonium assimilation in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis

Invertebrates containing endosymbiotic dinoflagellate algae (zooxanthellae) retain excretory nitrogen, and many are able to take up ammonium from the surrounding seawater. However, the site of assimilation and role of nitrogen recycling between symbiont and host remains unclear. In the present study, ammonium uptake by the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis (Forskål) was examined by following the pathway of assimilation using ¹⁵N-enriched ammonium. Since zooxanthellae became enriched with ¹⁵N from ammonium at up to 17 times the rate of the host, they appear to be the primary site of assimilation. In the light, the rate of zooxanthellae enrichment at 20?M was twice that at 10?M, whereas the rate of host enrichment was not significantly affected by ammonium concentration. When anemones were incubated with [¹⁵N]ammonium in the dark, after 12?h without light the rate of enrichment was lowered in both zooxanthellae and host. However, while the enrichment of the host was significantly reduced when the light level was lowered from 300 to 150?μmol photons m^?2?s^?1, zooxanthellae enrichment was unchanged. Low molecular weight material from the zooxanthellae became enriched at 20 times the rate of that from the host, and enrichment was detected in the amino acids glutamate, glutamine, aspartate, alanine, glycine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine, tyrosine, and leucine from zooxanthellae. In the zooxanthellae, amino acids accounted for 65% of the total enrichment of low molecular weight material. Of the amino acids detected in zooxanthellae, over 90% of the enrichment was accounted for by glutamate, glutamine and aspartate. The enrichment of the amide group of glutamine was greater than that of the amine group of glutamate or glutamine, consistent with the glutamine synthetase/glutamine 2-oxoglutarate amidotransferase cycle as the mechanism of ammonium assimilation. To examine the flux of ¹⁵N from zooxanthellae to host, anemones were pulse-labelled with [¹⁵N]ammonium and then transferred to an unlabelled chase. Over a 2?h period there was no evidence for a flux of nitrogen from zooxanthellae to host. However, during the chase period, the enrichment of low molecular weight material declined and that of high molecular weight material increased in both zooxanthellae and host, indicating that protein was synthesized using ¹⁵N from ammonium in both components of the symbiosis. Again by using a pulse-chase system, it was found that glutamate was metabolised most rapidly by zooxanthellae, followed by (in order of decreasing rate of turnover) aspartate, alanine, glycine and valine (no data are available for glutamine). Unlike these amino acids, nitrogen was transferred to the essential amino acids phenylalanine and threonine, increasing their enrichment during the chase period. While recycled nitrogen is clearly important to this symbiosis, the mechanism by which it is cycled remains to be resolved.     

Two new UV-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids from the sea anemoneAnthopleura elegantissima and the effects of zooxanthellae and spectral irradiance on chemical composition and content

Many tropical cnidarians living in shallow water contain a class of ultraviolet-A (UV-A, 320 to 400 nm) and ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280 to 320 nm) absorbing compounds known as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). These compounds may provide protection from the deleterious effects of solar UV radiation. Using a novel application of reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography, we find that the temperate sea anemoneAnthopleura elegantissima (collected in 1988 from Bodega Bay, California, and in 1991 from Santa Barbara, California) contains four major MAAs: shinorine, porphyra-334, and two new compounds, mycosporine-taurine and mycosporine-2 glycine. Analysis of zooxanthellate (containing zooxanthellae) and naturally apozooxanthellate (lacking zooxanthellae) specimens acclimated in the presence and absence of UV for 28 d in the spring of 1988 suggests that this anemone, unlike some other anthozoans, does not regulate the concentration of its MAAs in response to UV radiation. The presence of similar concentration of MAAs in apozooxanthellate and zooxanthellate specimens indicates that symbiosis with algae is not required for these compounds to be present in the anemone. The total concentration of MAAs in the zooxanthellae is only about 12% of that in their host's tissues.     

Do associated zooxanthellae and the nature of the substratum affect survival,attachment and growth of Cliona viridis (Porifera: Hadromerida)? An experimental approach

Massive specimens of Cliona viridis, collected off the coast of Blanes (North-Western Mediterranean Sea) in January 1987, were exposed to different light (natural day-night irradiance/constant darkness) and substrata (calcareous/siliceous) conditions to assess their influence on growth, survival and attachment rates. Sponges cultured under natural irradiance displayed higher growth rates with increasing temperature; those cultured in the dark did not respond to increased temperature, but adapted faster to laboratory conditions. Differences in growth rates between these two culture conditions are ascribed to the presence of a healthy symbiotical zooxanthellae population on individuals cultured under conditions of natural irradiance. Attachment rates of the cut sides of the sponges which were in direct contact with the substratum, also increased with increasing temperature, whilst sponge survival was not significantly dependent on temperature. The chemical nature of the substratum clearly affected survival rates, which were higher on calcified than on siliceous substrata.     

Ammonium enhancement of dark carbon fixation and nitrogen limitation in zooxanthellae symbiotic with the reef coralsMadracis mirabilis andMontastrea annularis

The nutrient status (limitation vs sufficiency) of dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) symbiotic with reef corals in Bermuda was assessed in 1989 and 1990 by measuring the enhancement of dark carbon fixation with 20 M ammonium by isolated symbionts. A colony ofMadracis mirabilis was kept in the laboratory and fed daily or starved for one month. Symbionts from fed portions of the colony had ammonium-enhancement ratios (NH _4dark ⁺ ; SW_dark;SW=seawater without added ammonium) similar to those of the original field population (1.2 to 1.3). Ammonium-enhancement ratios increased with starvation of the host (x1.7) as did values forV _D:V _L [(ammonium dark rate-seawater dark rate): light rate in seawater]. Both parameters indicated decreasing nitrogen sufficiency of the algae when the host was not fed, but starvation appeared to affect these algae less than symbionts of sea anemones. Field samples of zooxanthellae fromM. mirabilis (Three Hill Shoals and Bailey's Bay Flats) yielded results similar to those for fed corals, but those taken from Bailey's Bay Flats in May 1990 yielded exceptionally high values for enhancement (>3) andV _D:V _L indicating pronounced nitrogen limitation at the time of sampling. We sampled zooxanthellae from populations ofMontastrea annularis at 8 m (Three Hill Shoals) and 24 m (Soldier's Point) depths. Enhancement andV _D:V _L values for zooxanthellae from the 8 m corals were density-dependent: symbionts from corals with normal symbiont densities displayed the most nitrogen limitation (enhancement values=1.4 to 2.0), while those from bleached corals with lower density exhibited enhancement andV _D:V _L values typical of nitrogen-sufficient algae. Symbionts isolated from the 25 m corals yielded the highest values, and appeared to exhibit the least nitrogen-sufficiency for this species.     

Distribution and sources of phthalate esters in the topsoils of Beijing,China

Phthalate esters in the topsoil samples collected from Beijing were determined by derivatization and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry techniques. The results showed that diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate ester (DIBP), dibutyl phthalate ester (DBP), dibutyl (2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were found in the topsoils. The total concentrations of the five phthalate esters varied from 2.30 to 24.71 μg g^?1. According to phthalate esters (PAEs) control standards in soil of the USA, the standard exceeding rates of DMP, DBP, and DEHP were 100 %, 100 %, and 4.84 % in soils of Beijing, respectively. The rate of DBP exceeding soil remediation standard was 12.9 %. Overall, concentrations of PAEs in Beijing were at a high level in China. The concentrations of DBP, DEHP, and DIBP were high, and the total concentrations of all the phthalate esters were higher in the areas with intensive human activities than in the other areas, which may be related to the use of phthalate compounds (such as the use of plastic products). The total and individual concentrations of phthalate compounds were relatively low in the areas that used plastic films compared with other samples due to the diffusion of atmospheric motion, categories, and amounts of plastic products and other factors. The greatest contributor may be the usage amount of plastic products in people’s daily lives.     

Importance of wax esters and other lipids in the marine food chain: Phytoplankton and copepods

Wax esters, which function as reserve fuels, account for 25 to 40% of the lipid of the pelagic copepod Calanus helgolandicus (Copepoda, Calanoida). In laboratory experiments with these crustaceans, diatoms (Lauderia borealis, Chaetoceros curvisetus, and Skeletonema costatum) and dinoflagellates (Gymnodinium splendens), which contained no wax esters, were used as food. Changes in the food concentration affected both the amount of lipid and the composition of the wax esters. Since the fatty acids of the triglycerides and wax esters of C. helgolandicus resembled the dietary fatty acid composition, it appeared that copepods incorporated their dietary fatty acids largely unchanged into their wax esters. The polyunsaturated alcohols of the wax esters did not correspond in carbon numbers or degrees of unsaturation to the dietary fatty acids. We postulate two different metabolic pools to explain the origin of these long chain alcohols. The phospholipid fatty acids were not affected by changes in the amount or type of food, probably because of their structural function.     

Cellular and ultrastructural changes in the endoderm of the temperate sea anemone Anemonia viridis as a result of increased temperature

Exposure of the temperate sea anemone Anemonia viridis Forskål to increased seawater temperature (from 16 to 26°C) reduced the lysosomal latency of coelenterate tissues. Lysosomes in the mesenterial filaments of anemones were destabilised by increased temperature, with greater destabilisation in heat-shocked symbiotic anemones than in heat-shocked aposymbiotic anemones in the early stages of the experiment. Lysosomal enzyme activity in zooxanthellae from heat-shocked symbiotic anemones was associated with the algal membranes and the cytoplasm of degenerate algal cells. While the relationship between host coelenterate and symbiotic alga may confer many benefits under normal conditions, comparison of the responses of symbiotic and aposymbiotic anemones to heat shock suggests that there may be disadvantages for symbiotic anemones under stress.     

Distribution of lipopolysaccharide,an indicator of bacterial biomass,in subtropical areas of the sea

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations, an indicator of bacterial biomass, were determined in the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The distribution patterns of LPS were compared with those of chlorophyll a (Chl a), zooplankton biomass and the concentrations of several nutrients. LPS and total bacterial numbers in seawater were correlated with each other with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.84 at Stations 7, 8 and 10. Diurnal fluctuation of LPS was negligible, but Chl a varied slightly in the vertical water column. Zooplankton stayed at a depth of around 400 m during the daytime and ascended quickly to the surface (0–50 m) early in the evening. The profiles of LPS and Chl a were negatively correlated to each other in the water layers above the Chl a maximum peak (r=-0.74; excluding the samples from 75 m at Station 7 and 10 m at Station 11 due to inadequate data for the statistical analysis). LPS and zooplankton biomass during the night-time, in contrast, paralleled each other at 5 stations surveyed (r=0.71). The presence of zooplankton resulted in an increase in bacterial numbers in the seawater in vitro. Based on these results, the factors controlling the occurrence and abundance of bacteria and phyto- and zooplankton in the pelagic sea are discussed.     

Analysis of fatty acids and fatty alcohols reveals seasonal and sex-specific changes in the diets of seabirds

A key challenge in ecology is to find ways to obtain complete and accurate information about the diets of animals. To respond to this challenge in seabirds, traditional methods (usually stomach content analysis or observations of prey at nests) have been supplemented with indirect methods or molecular trophic markers. These techniques have the potential to extend the period of investigation outside the few short months of breeding and avoid biases. Here, we use an analysis of fatty acids (FAs) and fatty alcohols (FALs) from blood, adipose tissue and stomach oil to investigate how the diets of male and female common guillemots (Uria aalge), black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) differed through the sampling period (prelaying and breeding season) and by sex. Diets of both sexes of all three species generally varied across the season, but sex differences were apparent only in fulmars during prelaying. Our study shows that FA/FAL analysis can provide significant insights into diets of seabirds, in particular periods of the annual cycle which are not readily studied using traditional methods.     

Blubber fatty acids of minke whales: stratification,population identification and relation to diet

We determined the fatty acids in the blubber of 10 minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from the Norwegian Sea and 12 minke whales from the North Sea. The composition of the fatty acids differed between the inner and outer blubber layer. The saturated, the monounsaturated with 20 and 22 carbon atoms and the polyunsaturated fatty acids had higher relative amounts in the inner than in the outer blubber, and the short-chain monounsaturated acids, i.e. with 14, 16 and 18 carbon atoms, had the highest relative amounts in the outer layer. The change in relative concentration was steeper in the outer parts of the blubber than in the inner parts. Whales from the two areas had different fatty-acid profiles in both inner and outer blubber layer, although these differences were smaller than the difference between inner and outer layer. The difference between the whales from the two areas corresponds to the management stocks defined by the International Whaling Commission. Determination of the fatty-acid profile may be used for identification of whale populations. The composition of the fatty acids in the blubber differed from that of the main prey of the whales: sand eel for the North Sea whales and herring for the Norwegian Sea whales. These differences between prey and blubber fatty acids were larger for the outer blubber layer than for the inner.     

The induction of larval settlement and metamorphosis of two sea urchins,Pseudocentrotus depressus and Anthocidaris crassispina,by free fatty acids extracted from the coralline red alga Corallina pilulifera

Lipophilic inducers of larval settlement and metamorphosis of Pseudocentrotus depressus and Anthocidaris crassispina, two commercially important sea urchin species in Japan, were isolated from the foliose coralline red alga Corallina pilulifera (collected in 1990 near Saga, Japan) and identified. Larval assays of the fractions obtained by silica gel column chromatography of the total lipids showed that non-polar groups of lipids were effective at inducing larval settlement and metamorphosis. The effective fractions were further subjected to gel filtration (Sephadex LH-20) and also to silica gel column chromatography, and the effective components isolated as single spots by thin-layer chromatography. The components at a concentration of ca. 0.4 mg paper^-1 (sample was adsorbed on a paper with 20 cm²) induced high rates of larval settlement of both P. depressus and A. crassispina. Chemical analyses of the components revealed a mixture of free fatty acids (FFAs), dominated by eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5, 41 to 50%), palmitic acid (16:0, 11 to 17%), arachidonic acid (20:4, 9 to 15%), and palmitoleic acid (16:1, 4 to 5%). In assays with the four standard FFAs, only 20:4 and 20:5 induced larval settlement and metamorphosis of the two species, while 16:0 and 16:1 were ineffective. The larvae underwent significant rates of settlement and metamorphosis in response to the two former FFAs at levels as low as 0.18 mg paper^-1. Amongst the free fatty acid components of the alga, 20:5 was isolated as the chemical inducer of larval settlement and metamorphosis of the sea urchins in the laboratory.     

Triacylglycerols and wax esters in the lipids of deep midwater teleost fishes of the Southern California Bight

Total lipid contents and the proportions of triacylglycerols and wax esters were examined in 23 species of deep-sea fishes collected between 1977 and 1980 in the Santa Catalina, San Clemente and San Pedro Basins off Southern California, USA. Mean total lipid content ranged from 1 to 22% of wet weight. Triacylglycerols accounted for 1 to 91% of total lipids present and were more abundant than wax esters in the lipids of all but a single species. Wax ester contents ranged from 0 to 24% of total lipids but in 20 species were 10% of the lipids. These results do not substantiate the previously suggested idea that wax esters are important constituents of the lipids of deep-sea fishes. Moreover, the hypothesis that wax ester content increases with increasing depth of occurrence is not supported. To assess the importance of the lipids present in bouyancy regulation, the water content and swimbladder inflation of these species were also examined. Neither total lipids nor wax esters appear to play an important role in buoyancy regulation in the majority of these fishes. Eight species have gas-filled swimbladders. Of the species lacking inflated swimbladders, 7 have watery bodies (87 to 95% H₂O) and 6 with low lipid (8.3%) and water (85%) contents may need to swim continuously to maintain their position in the water column. Lipids, largely in the form of triacylglycerols, may be important in the buoyancy of three species with lipid contents>10% of wet weight. Two of these species also possess inflated swimbladders. The reasons for the production of large quantitites of was esters by certain deep-sea teleosts, especially gonostomatids and myctophids, remain unknown.     

Mycosporine-like amino acids: possible UV protection in eggs of the sea hare Aplysia dactylomela

We investigated mycosporine amino acid (MAA) involvement as protective sunscreens in spawn of the sea hare Aplysia dactylomela to determine if adult diet and ultraviolet (UV) exposure affected the UV sensitivity of developing embryos. Adults were fed a red alga rich in MAAs (Acanthophora spicifera) or a green alga poor in MAAs (Ulva lactuca). Adults on each diet were exposed for 2 wk to ambient solar irradiance with two types of acrylic filters; one allowed exposure to wavelengths >275 nm (designated UV) and one to wavelengths only >410 nm (designated NOUV). Spawn from each adult group was likewise treated with UV or NOUV and monitored during development for differences in mortality and metabolic rate (measured as oxygen consumption: V˙ _O2). Also recorded were number of eggs or embryos per capsule, times to hatching, hatching success, size at hatching, and V˙ _O2 of adults. Spawn from adults eating red algae was almost twice as rich in MAAs as spawn from adults eating green algae, suggesting that MAA content is diet-related. Although overall quantities of MAAs in the spawn reflected MAA contents of the adult diet, specific MAAs were differentially sequestered in the spawn. Thus, porphyra-334, found in high concentration in Aplysia dactylomela's preferred red algal food, was present in only low concentration in the spawn. Conversely, mycosporine-glycine, in low concentration in red algal food, was the most abundant MAA in the spawn. UV treatment of adults had no effect on quantities of MAAs in the spawn. Adults exposed to UV had significantly higher V˙ _O2s and spawned twice as often. The UV-treated adults produced spawn with significantly higher V˙ _O2s and their embryos developed to hatching sooner. The only significant effect of UV exposure of the spawn was to reduce the percentage of veligers hatching from 71 to 50%. There was no significant effect on hatching time or size of the veligers at hatching, nor on number of eggs per capsule. Received: 13 May 1997 / Accepted: 27 June 1997     

Distribution,growth and life cycle of the mesopelagic amphipod Primno abyssalis (Hyperiidea: Phrosinidae) in the southern Japan sea

The vertical distribution, growth, maturation, brood size and life cycle of the hyperiid amphipod Primno abyssalis (formerly P. macropa) were investigated using seasonal samples collected from Toyama Bay, southern Japan Sea, during the period June 1986 to September 1992. Over four different seasons of the year, P. abyssalis was most abundant in the 200 to 350 m strata at night and the 350 to 400 m strata during the day, indicating 100 to 150 m as the general distance of diel vertical movement. Some differences in vertical migrating behavior were noted among juveniles, adult males and females. Population-structure analysis revealed the occurrence of three cohorts aged 0+, 1+ and 2+ yr. Growth as body length in this species is linear with time. Estimated time to complete one life cycle is 1.8 to 2.5 yr for females, but only 0.8 yr for males. Maximum longevity is 2.8 yr. Instar analysis based on the segment number of pleopod rami indicated that newly hatched juveniles molt ten times to reach adult male, and four more times to reach adult female. Adult instar number was found to be only 1 for males and 5 for females. Ovigerous females occurred throughout the year, but the annual peak of release of juveniles from the female's marsupium is estimated to be arly March. Brood size was not correlated with female size, a maximum brood size of 214 eggs was recorded. The dry and ash-free dry weights of instars suggested that juveniles in the female marsupium, adult males, and older adult females are less active feeding or non-feeding stages. Except for the reduced growth rate and the occurrence of small, short-lived males, most characteristics of P. abyssalis are consistent with the present view of the life modes of mesopelagic animals, including linear growth in length, aseasonal reproduction, and smaller brood size coupled with larger eggs.     

Metabolic relationships between fatty alcohol and fatty acid in the liver of Squalus acanthias

The high speed supernatant fraction of a homogenate of Squalus acanthias L. liver catalyses the oxidation of oleyl alcohol to oleic acid by an NAD-dependent process. Reduction of fatty acid to fatty alcohol could not be demonstrated. Liver lipids of S. acanthias contain about 60 and 40% of triglycerides and diacyl glyceryl ethers, respectively, with only traces of wax esters. Serum lipids contain 28, 15 and 26% of triglycerides, diacyl glyceryl ethers and wax esters, respectively. Cell-free fractions of S. acanthias liver catalyse the formation of wax esters by an ATP¹-dependent process. The bulk of wax ester synthesis occurs in the high-speed supernatant fraction of liver. The rate of formation of the ester bond in wax esters is comparable to the rate of synthesis of ester bonds in triglycerides, and greatly exceeds the rate of formation of the ether bond in diacyl glyceryl ethers. Results are discussed in terms of possible factors controlling the levels of neutral lipids in S. acanthias.