Phosphate absorption across multiple epithelia in the Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii)

Trace metals in the teleost fish gill: biological roles, uptake regulation, and detoxification mechanisms

In fish, the gill plays a vital role in regulating the absorption of trace metals and is also highly susceptible to metal toxicity. Trace metals such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) are involved in various catalytic activities and molecular binding within the gill, thereby supporting a range of physiological processes in this organ. While beneficial at normal levels, these metals can become toxic when present in excess. Conversely, nonessential metals like cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) can gain entry into gill cells through similar metal transport pathways, potentially interfering with various cellular processes. The transepithelial transport of these metals across the gill epithelium is governed by a variety of metal transport and metal binding proteins. These include the Cu transporter 1 (CTR1), divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), and members of the Zrt-/Irt-like protein (ZIP) and zinc transport (ZnT) families. Additionally, some of these metals can compete with major ions (e.g., calcium, sodium) for absorption sites in the gill. This complex crosstalk suggests an interdependent mechanism that balances metal uptake to meet physiological needs while preventing excessive accumulation. In this article, I review the roles of trace metals in proteins/enzymes that support the different functions in the gill of teleost fish. I also discuss current understanding of the pathways involved in regulating the branchial uptake of metals and their influence on ionic regulation, and the potential detoxification mechanisms in the gill. Finally, I summarize knowledge gaps and potential areas for further investigation.

Mechanistic characterization of waterborne selenite uptake in the water flea, Daphnia magna, indicates water chemistry affects toxicity in coal mine-impacted waters

Concentrations of selenium that exceed regulatory guidelines have been associated with coal mining activities and have been linked to detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems and the organisms therein. Although the major route of selenium uptake in macroinvertebrates is via the diet, the uptake of waterborne selenite (HSeO3-), the prominent form at circumneutral pH, can be an important contributor to selenium body burden and thus selenium toxicity. In the current study, radiolabelled selenite (Se75) was used to characterize the mechanism of selenite uptake in the water flea, Daphnia magna. The concentration dependence (1-32 μM) of selenite uptake was determined in 1-hour uptake assays in artificial waters that independently varied in bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate, phosphate and selenate concentrations. At concentrations representative of those found in highly contaminated waters, selenite uptake was phosphate-dependent and inhibited by foscarnet, a phosphate transport inhibitor. At higher concentrations, selenite uptake was dependent on waterborne bicarbonate concentration and inhibited by the bicarbonate transporter inhibitor DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid). These findings suggest that concentrations of phosphate in coal mining-affected waters could alter selenite uptake in aquatic organisms and could ultimately affect the toxic impacts of selenium in such waters.

Acquisition of alanyl-alanine in an Agnathan: Characteristics of dipeptide transport across the hindgut of the Pacific hagfish Eptatretus stoutii

This study used ³ H-_L -alanyl-_L -alanine to demonstrate dipeptide uptake using in vitro gut sacs prepared from the hindgut of the Pacific hagfish Eptatretus stoutii. Concentration-dependent kinetic analysis resulted in a sigmoidal distribution with a maximal (± SE) uptake rate (J_max -like) of 70 ± 3 nmol cm^-2 h^-1 and an affinity constant (K_m -like) of 1072 ± 81 μM. Addition of high alanine concentrations to transport assays did not change dipeptide transport rates, indicating that hydrolysis of the dipeptide in mucosal solutions and subsequent uptake via apical amino acid transporters was not occurring, which was further supported by a K_m distinct from that of amino acid transport. Transport occurred independent of mucosal pH, but uptake was reduced by 42% in low mucosal sodium. This may implicate cooperation between peptide transporters and sodium-proton exchangers, previously demonstrated in several mammalian and teleost species. Finally, apical _L -alanyl-_L -alanine uptake rates (i.e., mucosal disappearance) were significantly increased following a meal, demonstrating regulation of uptake. Overall, this examination of dipeptide acquisition in the earliest extant Agnathan suggests evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of transport between hagfish and later-diverging vertebrates such as teleosts and mammals.

The good, the bad and the slimy: experimental studies of hagfish digestive and nutritional physiology

The hagfishes provide valuable insight into the physiology of feeding, digestion and nutrient absorption by virtue of unusual and unique features of their biology. For example, members of this group undergo long periods of fasting, and are the only vertebrates known to absorb organic nutrients across their epidermal surface. Such properties engender significant attention from researchers interested in feeding and feeding-related processes; however, the practical realities of employing the hagfish as an experimental organism can be challenging. Many of the key tools of the experimental biologist are compromised by a species that does not readily feed in captivity, is difficult to instrument and which produces copious quantities of slime. This Commentary provides critical insight into the key aspects of hagfish feeding and digestive processes, and highlights the pitfalls of this group as experimental organisms. We also suggest key research gaps that, if filled, will lead to better understanding of hagfishes, and we consider how this group may advance our knowledge of feeding, digestion and nutrient absorption processes.

Functional redundancy of glucose acquisition mechanisms in the hindgut of Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii)

This study examined the mechanisms of glucose acquisition in the hindgut of Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) using in vitro gut sac techniques. The intestine was determined to have the capacity to digest maltose into glucose along the entirety of the tract, including the foregut. Glucose uptake was biphasic and consisted of a high-affinity, low-capacity concentration-dependent component conforming to Michaelis-Menten kinetics (K_m 0.37mM, J_max 8.48nmol/cm²/h) as well as a diffusive component. There was no observed difference in glucose flux rate along the length of the intestine, similar to other nutrients investigated in the hagfish intestine. A reduced sodium (<1mM) environment did not result in a change in glucose uptake rates, likely due to a functional redundancy of glucose transporters. There was no observed effect of phloretin, yet the sodium glucose-linked transporter (SGLT)-specific inhibitor phlorizin significantly reduced glucose uptake at all concentrations tested (0.0001-1mM). Additionally, the glucose transporter (GLUT) inhibitor cytochalasin b significantly reduced glucose transport rates. The effects of these pharmacological inhibition experiments suggest the presence of multiple types of glucose transport proteins. This study clarifies the uptake strategies used by hagfish to acquire glucose at the intestine and provides insight into the evolution of such transport systems in early-diverging vertebrates.

Regulation of plasma glucose and sulfate excretion in Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii is not mediated by 11-deoxycortisol

The goal of this study was to identify whether Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) possess glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid responses and to examine the potential role(s) of four key steroids in these responses. Pacific hagfish were injected with varying amounts of cortisol, corticosterone or 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) using coconut oil implants and plasma glucose and gill total-ATPase activity were monitored as indices of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid responses. Furthermore, we also monitored plasma glucose and 11-deoxycortisol (11-DOC) levels following exhaustive stress (30 min of agitation) or following repeated infusion with SO₄^2-. There were no changes in gill total-ATPase following implantation with any steroid, with only very small statistical increases in plasma glucose noted in hagfish implanted with either DOC (at 20 and 200mgkg^-1 at 7 and 4days post-injection, respectively) or corticosterone (at 100mgkg^-1 at 7days post-injection). Following exhaustive stress, hagfish displayed a large and sustained increase in plasma glucose. Repeated infusion of SO₄^2- into hagfish caused increases in both plasma glucose levels and SO₄^2- excretion rate suggesting a regulated glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid response. However, animals under either condition did not show any significant increases in plasma 11-DOC concentrations. Our results suggest that while there are active glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid responses in hagfish, 11-DOC does not appear to be involved and the identity and primary function of the steroid in hagfish remains to be elucidated.

Flexible ammonia handling strategies using both cutaneous and branchial epithelia in the highly ammonia-tolerant Pacific hagfish

Hagfish consume carrion, potentially exposing them to hypoxia, hypercapnia, and high environmental ammonia (HEA). We investigated branchial and cutaneous ammonia handling strategies by which Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) tolerate and recover from high ammonia loading. Hagfish were exposed to HEA (20 mmol/l) for 48 h to elevate plasma total ammonia (T_Amm) levels before placement into divided chambers for a 4-h recovery period in ammonia-free seawater where ammonia excretion (J_Amm) was measured independently in the anterior and posterior compartments. Localized HEA exposures were also conducted by subjecting hagfish to HEA in either the anterior or posterior compartments. During recovery, HEA-exposed animals increased J_Amm in both compartments, with the posterior compartment comprising ~20% of the total J_Amm compared with ~11% in non-HEA-exposed fish. Plasma T_Amm increased substantially when whole hagfish and the posterior regions were exposed to HEA. Alternatively, plasma T_Amm did not elevate after anterior localized HEA exposure. J_Amm was concentration dependent (0.05-5 mmol/l) across excised skin patches at up to eightfold greater rates than in skin sections that were excised from HEA-exposed hagfish. Skin excised from more posterior regions displayed greater J_Amm than those from more anterior regions. Immunohistochemistry with hagfish-specific anti-rhesus glycoprotein type c (α-hRhcg; ammonia transporter) antibody was characterized by staining on the basal aspect of hagfish epidermis while Western blotting demonstrated greater expression of Rhcg in more posterior skin sections. We conclude that cutaneous Rhcg proteins are involved in cutaneous ammonia excretion by Pacific hagfish and that this mechanism could be particularly important during feeding.

Hagfish Houdinis: biomechanics and behavior of squeezing through small openings

Hagfishes are able to squeeze through small openings to gain entry to crevices, burrows, hagfish traps and carcasses, but little is known about how they do this, or what the limits of this ability are. The purpose of this study was to describe this ability, and to investigate possible mechanisms by which it is accomplished. We investigated the hypothesis that the passive movement of blood within a hagfish's flaccid subcutaneous sinus allows it to squeeze through narrow apertures that it would not be able to if it were turgid. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed videos of Atlantic hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) and Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) moving through narrow apertures in the lab. We measured changes in body width as the animals moved through these openings and documented the behaviors associated with this ability. We found that hagfishes are able to pass through narrow slits that are less than one half the width of their bodies. Our results are consistent with the idea that a flaccid subcutaneous sinus allows hagfish to squeeze through narrow apertures by facilitating a rapid redistribution of venous blood. In addition, we describe nine distinct behaviors associated with this ability, including a form of non-undulatory locomotion also seen in snakes and lampreys. Our results illuminate a behavior that may be a critical component of the hagfish niche, as a result of its likely importance in feeding and avoiding predators.

Characterization of the isoforms of type IIb sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter (Slc34a2) in yellow catfish, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, and their vitamin D3-regulated expression under low-phosphate conditions

In this study, two isoforms slc34a2 genes (type IIb sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter), slc34a2a2 and slc34a2b, were cloned from intestine and kidney of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco), with rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The structure differences and the regulation effects of dietary VD₃ under low phosphorus were compared among three isoforms of slc34a2 in yellow catfish. The predicted Slc34a2a2 and Slc34a2b proteins match 65 % and 53.8 % sequence identity, with Slc34a2a1, respectively. The membrane-spanning domains were different among these three isoforms. Intestinal Slc34a2a1 and Slc34a2a2 proteins had eight and eleven transmembrane domains, while renal Slc34a2b protein had nine. The tissue distribution study showed that same as slc34a2a1, slc34a2a2 mRNA was mainly distributed in intestine and slc34a2b mRNA in kidney. The effect of vitamin D₃ (VD₃) level on slc34a2 subfamily expression under low-phosphate conditions, induced by the addition of 0 (VD0), 324 (VD1), 1243 (VD2), 3621 (VD3), 8040 (VD4), or 22700 (VD5) IU VD₃/kg feed, was assessed by qPCR. The dose-responsive expression of intestinal slc34a2a2 and high expression of intestinal slc34a2a2 in VD5 together with peak expression of kidney slc34a2b in VD3 coincided with the accumulation of body phosphate content. These data suggested that appropriate level of dietary VD₃ up-regulated slc34a2a1, slc34a2a2, and slc34a2b mRNA levels, which increased phosphate retention. In conclusion, the current study provided another possible approach to improve dietary phosphate utilization by adding appropriate level of VD₃ to a low-phosphate diet to regulate intestinal and renal slc34a2 gene expression and thus minimize the excretion of phosphorus in yellow catfish.

It's all in the gills: Evaluation of O2 uptake in Pacific hagfish refutes a major respiratory role for the skin

Hagfish skin has been reported as an important site for ammonia excretion and as the major site of systemic oxygen acquisition. However, debate remains whether cutaneous O2 uptake is the dominant route of uptake; all evidence supporting this hypothesis has been derived using indirect measurements. Here we use separating chambers and direct measurements of oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion to quantify cutaneous and branchial exchanges in Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) at rest and following exhaustive exercise. Hagfish primarily relied on the gills for both O2 uptake (81.0%) and ammonia excretion (70.7%). Following exercise, both O2 uptake and ammonia excretion increased, but only across the gill; cutaneous exchange was not increased. When branchial O2 availability was reduced by exposure to anteriorly-localized hypoxia (∼4.6 kPa O2), cutaneous O2 consumption was only slightly elevated on an absolute basis. These results refute a major role for cutaneous O2 acquisition in the Pacific hagfish.