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Persson PB, Persson AB. Evolutionary physiology. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2024:e14221. [PMID: 39207025 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Pontus B Persson
- Institute of Translational Physiology, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
| | - Anja Bondke Persson
- Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
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Zimmer AM. Ammonia excretion by the fish gill: discoveries and ideas that shaped our current understanding. J Comp Physiol B 2024:10.1007/s00360-024-01561-5. [PMID: 38849577 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-024-01561-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
The fish gill serves many physiological functions, among which is the excretion of ammonia, the primary nitrogenous waste in most fishes. Although it is the end-product of nitrogen metabolism, ammonia serves many physiological functions including acting as an acid equivalent and as a counter-ion in mechanisms of ion regulation. Our current understanding of the mechanisms of ammonia excretion have been influenced by classic experimental work, clever mechanistic approaches, and modern molecular and genetic techniques. In this review, I will overview the history of the study of ammonia excretion by the gills of fishes, highlighting the important advancements that have shaped this field with a nearly 100-year history. The developmental and evolutionary implications of an ammonia and gill-dominated nitrogen regulation strategy in most fishes will also be discussed. Throughout the review, I point to areas in which more work is needed to push forward this field of research that continues to produce novel insights and discoveries that will undoubtedly shape our overall understanding of fish physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Zimmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada.
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Quijada-Rodriguez AR, Fehsenfeld S, Marini AM, Wilson JM, Nash MT, Sachs M, Towle DW, Weihrauch D. Branchial CO 2 and ammonia excretion in crustaceans: Involvement of an apical Rhesus-like glycoprotein. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2024; 240:e14078. [PMID: 38205922 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
AIM To determine whether the crustacean Rh1 protein functions as a dual CO2 /ammonia transporter and investigate its role in branchial ammonia excretion and acid-base regulation. METHODS Sequence analysis of decapod Rh1 proteins was used to determine the conservation of amino acid residues putatively involved in ammonia transport and CO2 binding in human and bacterial Rh proteins. Using the Carcinus maenas Rh1 protein (CmRh1) as a representative of decapod Rh1 proteins, we test the ammonia and CO2 transport capabilities of CmRh1 through heterologous expression in yeast and Xenopus oocytes coupled with site-directed mutagenesis. Quantitative PCR was used to assess the distribution of CmRh1 mRNA in various tissues. Western blotting was used to assess CmRh1 protein expression changes in response to high environmental ammonia and CO2 . Further, immunohistochemistry was used to assess sub-cellular localization of CmRh1 and a membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase (CmCAg). RESULTS Sequence analysis of decapod Rh proteins revealed high conservation of several amino acid residues putatively involved in conducting ammonia transport and CO2 binding. Expression of CmRh1 in Xenopus oocytes enhanced both ammonia and CO2 transport which was nullified in CmRh1 D180N mutant oocytes. Transport of the ammonia analog methylamine by CmRh1 is dependent on both ionized and un-ionized ammonia/methylamine species. CmRh1 was co-localized with CmCAg to the apical membrane of the crustacean gill and only experienced decreased protein expression in the anterior gills when exposed to high environmental ammonia. CONCLUSION CmRh1 is the first identified apical transporter-mediated route for ammonia and CO2 excretion in the crustacean gill. Our findings shed further light on the potential universality of dual ammonia and CO2 transport capacity of Rhesus glycoproteins in both vertebrates and invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R Quijada-Rodriguez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sandra Fehsenfeld
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anna-Maria Marini
- Biology of Membrane Transport Laboratory, Molecular Biology Department, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
- WELBIO, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Jonathan M Wilson
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mikyla T Nash
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Maria Sachs
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - David W Towle
- Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salisbury Cove, Maine, USA
| | - Dirk Weihrauch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Clifford AM. Lessons in waste management: Deciphering the dual role of Crustacean Rh1 protein in ammonia and CO 2 excretion. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2024; 240:e14079. [PMID: 38164040 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Clifford
- Research & Development Group, Eurofins DiscoverX, San Diego, California, USA
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Tresguerres M, Kwan GT, Weinrauch A. Evolving views of ionic, osmotic and acid-base regulation in aquatic animals. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245747. [PMID: 37522267 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The regulation of ionic, osmotic and acid-base (IOAB) conditions in biological fluids is among the most fundamental functions in all organisms; being surrounded by water uniquely shapes the IOAB regulatory strategies of water-breathing animals. Throughout its centennial history, Journal of Experimental Biology has established itself as a premier venue for publication of comparative, environmental and evolutionary studies on IOAB regulation. This Review provides a synopsis of IOAB regulation in aquatic animals, some of the most significant research milestones in the field, and evolving views about the underlying cellular mechanisms and their evolutionary implications. It also identifies promising areas for future research and proposes ideas for enhancing the impact of aquatic IOAB research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Tresguerres
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Garfield T Kwan
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Alyssa Weinrauch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M5, Canada
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Gilmour KM. Pushing back against high environmental ammonia levels: A model for active NH 4 + excretion. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2022; 236:e13867. [PMID: 35975646 DOI: 10.1111/apha.13867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Giacomin M, Drummond JM, Supuran CT, Goss GG. The roles of plasma accessible and cytosolic carbonic anhydrases in bicarbonate (HCO 3-) excretion in Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii). J Comp Physiol B 2022; 192:713-725. [PMID: 36098803 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01459-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) are marine scavengers and feed on decaying animal carrion by burrowing their bodies inside rotten carcasses where they are exposed to several threatening environmental stressors, including hypercapnia (high partial pressures of CO2). Hagfish possess a remarkable capacity to tolerate hypercapnia, and their ability to recover from acid-base disturbances is well known. To deal with the metabolic acidosis resulting from exposure to high CO2, hagfish can mount a rapid elevation of plasma HCO3- concentration (hypercarbia). Once PCO2 is restored, hagfish quickly excrete their HCO3- load, a process that likely involves the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA), which catalyzes HCO3- dehydration into CO2 at the hagfish gills. We aimed to characterize the role of branchial CA in CO2/HCO3- clearance from the plasma at the gills of E. stoutii, under control and high PCO2 (hypercapnic) exposure conditions. We assessed the relative contributions of plasma accessible versus intracellular (cytosolic) CA to gill HCO3- excretion by measuring in situ [14C]-HCO3- fluxes. To accomplish this, we employed a novel surgical technique of individual gill pouch arterial perfusion combined with perifusion of the gill afferent to efferent water ducts. [14C]-HCO3- efflux was measured at the gills of fish exposed to control, hypercapnic (48 h) and recovery from hypercapnia conditions (6 h), in the presence of two well-known pharmacological inhibitors of CA, the membrane impermeant C18 (targets membrane bound, plasma accessible CA) and membrane-permeant acetazolamide, which targets all forms of CA, including extracellular and intracellular cytosolic CAs. C18 did not affect HCO3- flux in control fish, whereas acetazolamide resulted in a significant reduction of 72%. In hypercapnic fish, HCO3- fluxes were much higher and perfusion with acetazolamide caused a reduction of HCO3- flux by 38%. The same pattern was observed for fish in recovery, where in all three experimental conditions, there was no significant inhibition of plasma-accessible CA. We also observed no change in CA enzyme activity (measured in vitro) in any of the experimental PCO2 conditions. In summary, our data suggests that there are additional pathways for HCO3- excretion at the gills of hagfish that are independent of plasma-accessible CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Giacomin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada. .,Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Bamfield, BC, V0R 1B0, Canada.
| | - Jenna M Drummond
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Bamfield, BC, V0R 1B0, Canada
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- Neurofarba Department, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, Florence, Italy
| | - Greg G Goss
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.,Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Bamfield, BC, V0R 1B0, Canada
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