Volume-activated trimethylamine oxide efflux in red blood cells of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Chaperone roles for TMAO and HSP70 during hyposmotic stress in the spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias)

Salinity decreases are experienced by many marine elasmobranchs. To understand how these fishes cope with hyposmotic stress on a cellular level, we used the spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) as a model to test whether a reciprocal relationship exists between the cell's two primary protein protection mechanisms, the chemical (e.g., trimethylamine oxide, TMAO) and molecular (e.g., heat shock protein 70, HSP70) chaperone systems. This relationship is interesting given that many elasmobranchs are expected to gain water and lose osmolytes, chemical chaperones, and ions as they osmoconform to new, lowered salinity. Dogfish were cannulated for repeated blood sampling and exposed to 70% seawater (SW) for 48 h. These hyposmotic conditions had no effect on red blood cell (RBC) and white muscle TMAO concentrations, and did not result in HSP70 induction or signs of protein damage (i.e., increased ubiquitin), suggesting that TMAO levels were sufficiently protective in these tissues. However, in the gill, we observed a significant decrease in TMAO concentration and a significant induction of HSP70 as well as signs of protein damage. In the face of this cellular stress response, gill Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA) activity significantly increased during hyposmotic conditions, as expected. We suggest that this functional preservation in the gill is partly the result of HSP70 induction with lowered salinity. We conclude a reciprocal relationship between TMAO and HSP70 in the gills of dogfish as a result of in vivo hyposmotic stress. When osmotically induced protein damage surpasses the protective capacity of remaining TMAO, HSP70 is induced to preserve tissue and organismal function.

Regulatory volume decrease and P receptor signaling in fish cells: mechanisms, physiology, and modeling approaches

For animal cell plasma membranes, the permeability of water is much higher than that of ions and other solutes, and exposure to hyposmotic conditions almost invariably causes rapid water influx and cell swelling. In this situation, cells deploy regulatory mechanisms to preserve membrane integrity and avoid lysis. The phenomenon of regulatory volume decrease, the partial or full restoration of cell volume following cell swelling, is well-studied in mammals, with uncountable investigations yielding details on the signaling network and the effector mechanisms involved in the process. In comparison, cells from other vertebrates and from invertebrates received little attention, despite of the fact that e.g. fish cells could present rewarding model systems given the diversity in ecology and lifestyle of this animal group that may be reflected by an equal diversity of physiological adaptive mechanisms, including those related to cell volume regulation. In this review, we therefore present an overview on the most relevant aspects known on hypotonic volume regulation presently known in fish, summarizing transporters and signaling pathways described so far, and then focus on an aspect we have particularly studied over the past years using fish cell models, i.e. the role of extracellular nucleotides in mediating cell volume recovery of swollen cells. We, furthermore, present diverse modeling approaches developed on the basis of data derived from studies with fish and other models and discuss their potential use for gaining insight into the theoretical framework of volume regulation.

Maintenance and accumulation of trimethylamine oxide by winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata): reliance on low whole animal losses rather than synthesis

Trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) is typically accumulated as an organic osmolyte in marine elasmobranchs to levels second only to urea (which can reach >400 mM); however, little is known about the whole animal regulation of TMAO in elasmobranchs. In the present study on the winter skate ( Leucoraja ocellata), we determine whether this species can maintain levels of TMAO in the absence of feeding, and if so, is this due to endogenous synthesis or low whole animal losses. Winter skates maintain plasma TMAO levels for up to 45 days without feeding. The liver displays methimazole oxidation, which is consistent with the presence of flavin-containing monooxygenase (E.C. 1.14.13.8 ) activity, the class of enzymes responsible for the physiological oxygenation of trimethylamine (TMA) to TMAO in mammals. However, no evidence for TMA oxygenation by winter skates was found using in vivo or in vitro techniques, indicating no significant capacity for endogenous TMAO synthesis. Fed skates displayed low, but measurable (∼4–13 μmol·kg−1·h−1), efflux of TMAO (plus TMA), whereas fasted skates did not. Using the loss of injected [14C]TMAO, it was determined that whole animal TMAO losses are likely <1% of whole body TMAO per day. These results demonstrate that winter skates utilize low whole animal TMAO losses, rather than endogenous synthesis, to maintain TMAO levels when not feeding.

Tyrosine kinases and osmolyte fluxes during hyposmotic swelling

Recent evidence documents the involvement of protein tyrosine kinases (TK) in the signalling network activated by hyposmotic swelling and regulatory volume decrease. Both receptor type and cytosolic TK participate as signalling elements in the variety of cell adaptive responses to volume changes, which include adhesion reactions, reorganization of the cytoskeleton, temporal deformation/remodelling of the membrane and stress-detecting mechanisms. The present review refers to the influence of TK on the activation/operation of the osmolyte efflux pathways, ultimately leading to cell volume recovery, i.e. the osmosensitive Cl- channel (Cl-swell), the K+ channels activated by swelling in the different cell types and the taurine efflux pathway as representative of the organic osmolyte pathway.

SRC family kinases in cell volume regulation

SRC family kinases are a group of nine cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases essential for many cell functions. Some appear to be ubiquitously expressed, whereas others are highly tissue specific. The ability of members of the SRC family to influence ion transport has been recognized for several years. Mounting evidence suggests a broad role for SRC family kinases in the cell response to both hypertonic and hypotonic stress, and in the ensuing regulatory volume increase or decrease. In addition, members of this tyrosine kinase family participate in the mechanotransduction that accompanies cell membrane deformation. Finally, at least one SRC family member operates in concert with the p38 MAPK to regulate tonicity-dependent gene transcription.