Myogenic cell cycle duration in Harpagifer species with sub-Antarctic and Antarctic distributions: evidence for cold compensation

Positive and Relaxed Selective Pressures Have Both Strongly Influenced the Evolution of Cryonotothenioid Fishes during Their Radiation in the Freezing Southern Ocean

Evolution in the chronic cold of the Southern Ocean has had a profound influence on the physiology of cryonotothenioid fishes. However, the suite of genetic changes underlying the physiological gains and losses in these fishes is still poorly surveyed. By identifying the genomic signatures of selection, this study aims to identify the functional classes of genes that have been changed following two major physiological transitions: the onset of freezing temperatures and the loss of hemoproteins. Looking at the changes that followed the onset of freezing temperatures, positive selective pressure was found among a set of broadly acting gene regulatory factors, suggesting a route through which cryonotothenioid gene expression has been retooled for life in the cold. Further, genes related to the cell cycle and cellular adhesion were found under positive selection suggesting that both present key challenges to life in freezing waters. By contrast, genes showing signatures of the relaxation of selective pressure showed a narrower biological impact, acting on genes related to mitochondrial function. Finally, although chronic cold-water temperatures appear correlated with substantial genetic change, the loss of hemoproteins resulted in little observable change in protein-coding genes relative to their red-blooded relatives. Combined, the influence of positive and relaxed selection shows that long-term exposure to cold has led to profound changes in cryonotothenioid genomes that may make it challenging for them to adapt to a rapidly changing climate.

The osmotic response capacity of the Antarctic fish Harpagifer antarcticus is insufficient to cope with projected temperature and salinity under climate change

Over the last decades, climate change has intensified. Temperatures have increased and seawater has become "fresher" in Antarctica, affecting fish such as Harpagifer antarcticus. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate changes in the osmoregulatory response of the Antarctic notothenioid fish Harpagifer antarcticus and evaluate how it will cope with the future climate change and environmental conditions in the Antarctic, and in the hypothetical case that its geographical distribution will be extended to the Magellanes region. The present study was undertaken to determine the interaction between temperature and salinity tolerance (2 °C and 33 psu as the control group, the experimental groups were 5, 8, and 11 °C and 28 and 23 psu) and their effect on the osmoregulatory status of H. antarcticus. We evaluated changes in gill-kidney-intestine NKA activity, gene expression of NKAα, NKCC, CFTR, Aquaporins 1 and 8 in the same tissues, muscle water percentage, and plasma osmolality to evaluate osmoregulatory responses. Plasma osmolality decreased with high temperature, also the gill-kidney-intestine NKA activity, gene expression of NKA α, NKCC, CFTR, Aquaporins 1, and 8 were modified by temperature and salinity. We demonstrated that H. antarcticus can not live in the Magallanes region, due to its incapacity to put up with temperatures over 5 °C and with over 8 °C being catastrophic.

Paralogs of Atlantic salmon myoblast determination factor genes are distinctly regulated in proliferating and differentiating myogenic cells

The mRNA expression of myogenic regulatory factors, including myoD1 (myoblast determination factor) gene paralogs, and their regulation by amino acids and insulin-like growth factors were investigated in primary cell cultures isolated from fast myotomal muscle of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The cell cycle and S phase were determined as 28.1 and 13.3 h, respectively, at 18 degrees C. Expression of myoD1b and myoD1c peaked at 8 days of culture in the initial proliferation phase and then declined more than sixfold as cells differentiated and was correlated with PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) expression (R = 0.88, P < 0.0001; R = 0.70, P < 0.0001). In contrast, myoD1a transcripts increased from 2 to 8 days and remained at elevated levels as myotubes were formed. mRNA levels of myoD1c were, on average, 3.1- and 5.7-fold higher than myoD1a and myoD1b, respectively. Depriving cells of amino acids and serum led to a rapid increase in pax7 and a decrease in myoD1c and PCNA expression, indicating a transition to a quiescent state. In contrast, amino acid replacement in starved cells produced significant increases in myoD1c (at 6 h), PCNA (at 12 h), and myoD1b (at 24 h) and decreases in pax7 expression as cells entered the cell cycle. Our results are consistent with temporally distinct patterns of myoD1c and myoD1b expression at the G(1) and S/G(2) phases of the cell cycle. Treatment of starved cells with insulin-like growth factor I or II did not alter expression of the myoD paralogs. It was concluded that, in vitro, amino acids alone are sufficient to stimulate expression of genes regulating myogenesis in myoblasts involving autocrine/paracrine pathways. The differential responses of myoD paralogs during myotube maturation and amino acid treatments suggest that myoD1b and myoD1c are primarily expressed in proliferating cells and myoD1a in differentiating cells, providing evidence for their subfunctionalization following whole genome and local duplications in the Atlantic salmon lineage.

Fish muscle: the exceptional case of Notothenioids

Fish skeletal muscle is an excellent model for studying muscle structure and function, since it has a very well-structured arrangement with different fiber types segregated in the axial and pectoral fin muscles. The morphological and physiological characteristics of the different muscle fiber types have been studied in several teleost species. In fish muscle, fiber number and size varies with the species considered, limiting fish maximum final length due to constraints in metabolites and oxygen diffusion. In this work, we analyze some special characteristics of the skeletal muscle of the suborder Notothenioidei. They experienced an impressive radiation inside Antarctic waters, a stable and cold environment that could account for some of their special characteristics. The number of muscle fibers is very low, 12,700-164,000, in comparison to 550,000-1,200,000 in Salmo salar of similar sizes. The size of the fibers is very large, reaching 600 microm in diameter, while for example Salmo salar of similar sizes have fibers of 220 microm maximum diameter. Evolutionary adjustment in cell cycle length for working at low temperature has been shown in Harpagifer antarcticus (111 h at 0 degrees C), when compared to the closely related sub-Antarctic species Harpagifer bispinis (150 h at 5 degrees C). Maximum muscle fiber number decreases towards the more derived notothenioids, a trend that is more related to phylogeny than to geographical distribution (and hence water temperature), with values as low as 3,600 in Harpagifer bispinis. Mitochondria volume density in slow muscles of notothenioids is very high (reaching 0.56) and since maximal rates of substrate oxidation by mitochondria is not enhanced, at least in demersal notothenioids, volume density is the only means of overcoming thermal constraints on oxidative capacity. In brief, some characteristics of the muscles of notothenioids have an apparent phylogenetic component while others seem to be adaptations to low temperature.

Thermal limits and adaptation in marine Antarctic ectotherms: an integrative view

A cause and effect understanding of thermal limitation and adaptation at various levels of biological organization is crucial in the elaboration of how the Antarctic climate has shaped the functional properties of extant Antarctic fauna. At the same time, this understanding requires an integrative view of how the various levels of biological organization may be intertwined. At all levels analysed, the functional specialization to permanently low temperatures implies reduced tolerance of high temperatures, as a trade-off. Maintenance of membrane fluidity, enzyme kinetic properties (Km and k(cat)) and protein structural flexibility in the cold supports metabolic flux and regulation as well as cellular functioning overall. Gene expression patterns and, even more so, loss of genetic information, especially for myoglobin (Mb) and haemoglobin (Hb) in notothenioid fishes, reflect the specialization of Antarctic organisms to a narrow range of low temperatures. The loss of Mb and Hb in icefish, together with enhanced lipid membrane densities (e.g. higher concentrations of mitochondria), becomes explicable by the exploitation of high oxygen solubility at low metabolic rates in the cold, where an enhanced fraction of oxygen supply occurs through diffusive oxygen flux. Conversely, limited oxygen supply to tissues upon warming is an early cause of functional limitation. Low standard metabolic rates may be linked to extreme stenothermy. The evolutionary forces causing low metabolic rates as a uniform character of life in Antarctic ectothermal animals may be linked to the requirement for high energetic efficiency as required to support higher organismic functioning in the cold. This requirement may result from partial compensation for the thermal limitation of growth, while other functions like hatching, development, reproduction and ageing are largely delayed. As a perspective, the integrative approach suggests that the patterns of oxygen- and capacity-limited thermal tolerance are linked, on one hand, with the capacity and design of molecules and membranes, and, on the other hand, with life-history consequences and lifestyles typically seen in the permanent cold. Future research needs to address the detailed aspects of these interrelationships.

Purification and characterization of pepsins A1 and A2 from the Antarctic rock cod Trematomus bernacchii

The Antarctic notothenioid Trematomus bernacchii (rock cod) lives at a constant mean temperature of -1.9 degrees C. Gastric digestion under these conditions relies on the proteolytic activity of aspartic proteases such as pepsin. To understand the molecular mechanisms of Antarctic fish pepsins, T. bernacchii pepsins A1 and A2 were cloned, overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized with a number of biochemical and biophysical methods. The properties of these two Antarctic isoenzymes were compared to those of porcine pepsin and found to be unique in a number of ways. Fish pepsins were found to be more temperature sensitive, generally less active at lower pH and more sensitive to inhibition by pepstatin than their mesophilic counterparts. The specificity of Antarctic fish pepsins was similar but not identical to that of pig pepsin, probably owing to changes in the sequence of fish enzymes near the active site. Gene duplication of Antarctic rock cod pepsins is the likely mechanism for adaptation to the harsh temperature environment in which these enzymes must function.

Persistent effects of incubation temperature on muscle development in larval haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus L.)

Muscle development and growth were investigated in haddock larvae(Melanogrammus aeglefinus L.) incubated under controlled temperatures(4, 6, 8°C) and reared post-hatch through yolk-dependent and exogenous-feeding stages in a 6°C post-hatch environment. Changes in cell number and size in superficial and deep myotomes within the epaxial muscle were investigated for 28 days following hatch. Distinct and significant differences in muscle cellularity following separate developmental strategies were observed in superficial and deep myotomes. The number of superficial myofibres increased with time and, although not in a manner proportional to temperature during the first 21 days post hatch (d.p.h.), there was observed a trend during the final 7 days of greater mean cell size that was strongly associated with increased temperature. In addition, there was an apparent correspondence between increased temperature and increased size between 21 and 28 d.p.h. Among all temperature groups the superficial myotome not only demonstrated a consistent unimodal myofibre-size distribution but one that increased in range proportional to temperature. In the deep muscle, myotomes from higher incubation temperatures had a broader range of fibre sizes and greater numbers of myofibres. The onset of a proliferative event,characterized by a significant recruitment of new smaller myofibres and a bimodal distribution of cell sizes, was directly proportional to incubation temperature such that it occurred at 14 d.p.h. at 8°C but not until 28 d.p.h. at 4°C. The magnitude of that recruitment was also directly proportional to temperature. Following hatch, those embryos from the greatest temperature groups had the largest mean deep muscle size but, as a result of the proliferative event, had the smallest-sized cells 28 days later. The muscle developmental and growth strategy as indicated by sequential changes in cellularity and cell-size distributions between myotomes in response to temperature are also discussed in light of whole animal growth and development.

Chronological and physiological ageing in a polar and a temperate mud clam

We investigated chronological and physiological ageing of two mud clams with regard to the "rate of living theory" (Pearl, 1928) and the "free radical theory of ageing" (Harman, 1956). The Antarctic Laternula elliptica (Pholadomyoida) and the temperate Mya arenaria (Myoida) represent the same ecotype (benthic infaunal filter feeders), but differ in maximum life span, 36 and 13 years, respectively. L. elliptica has a two-fold lower standard metabolic rate than M. arenaria, but its life long energy turnover at maximal age is three times higher. When comparing the two species within the lifetime window of M. arenaria, antioxidant capacities (glutathione, catalase) are higher and tissue oxidation (ratio of oxidised to reduced glutathione, lipofuscin accumulation) is lower in the polar L. elliptica than in the temperate mud clam. Tissue redox state in L. elliptica remained stable throughout all ages, whereas it increased dramatically in aged M. arenaria. Our results indicate that metabolic rates and maintenance of tissue redox state are major factors determining maximum lifespan in the investigated mud clams.

Muscle metabolism and growth in Antarctic fishes (suborder Notothenioidei): evolution in a cold environment

The radiation of notothenioid fishes (order Perciformes) in the Southern Ocean provides a model system for investigating evolution and adaptation to a low temperature environment. The Notothenioid fishes comprising eight families, 43 genera and 122 species dominate the fish fauna in Antarctica. The diversification of the clade probably began 15-20 million years ago after the formation of the Antarctic Polar Front. The radiation was, therefore, associated with climatic cooling down to the present day temperature of -1.86 degrees C. Origins and Evolution of the Antarctic Biota Geological Society Special Publication No. 47, Geological Society of London. pp. 253-268). The success of the group has been closely linked with the evolution of glycopeptide and peptide antifreezes, which are amongst the most abundant proteins in blood and interstitial fluid. The radiation of the clade has been associated with disaptation (evolutionary loss of function) and recovery. For example, it is thought that the icefishes (Channichyidae) lost haemoglobin through a single mutational event leading to the deletion of the entire beta-globin gene and the 5' end of the linked alpha-globin gene, resulting in compensatory adaptations of the cardiovascular system. Phylogenetically based statistical methods also indicate a progressive and dramatic reduction in the number of skeletal muscle fibres (FN(max)) at the end of the recruitment phase of growth in basal compared to derived families. The reduction in FN(max) is associated with a compensatory increase in the maximum fibre diameter, which can reach 100 microm in slow and 600 microm in fast muscle fibres. At -1 to 0 degrees C, the oxygen consumption of isolated mitochondria per mg mitochondrial protein shows no evidence of up-regulation relative to mitochondria from temperate and tropical Perciform fishes. The mitochondria content of slow muscle fibres in Antarctic notothenioids is towards the upper end of the range reported for teleosts with similar lifestyles, reaching 50% in Channichthyids. High mitochondrial densities facilitate ATP production and oxygen diffusion through the membrane lipid compartment of the fibre. Modelling studies suggest that adequate oxygen flux in the large diameter muscle fibres of notothenioids is possible because of the reduced metabolic demand and enhanced solubility of oxygen associated with low temperature. At the whole animal level size-corrected resting metabolic rate fits on the same temperature relationship as for Perciformes from warmer climates. It seems likely that the additional energetic costs associated with antifreeze synthesis and high mitochondrial densities are compensated for by reductions in other energy requiring processes: a hypothesis that could be tested with detailed energy budget studies. One plausible candidate is a reduction in membrane leak pathways linked to the loss of muscle fibres, which would serve to minimise the cost of maintaining ionic gradients.

Plasticity of muscle fibre number in seawater stages of Atlantic salmon in response to photoperiod manipulation

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) were fed to satiety and reared from approximately 60 g to 5000 g at ambient seawater temperatures. The effect of photoperiod manipulation on muscle growth was investigated from the start of the first sea winter. Continuous light treatment in winter/spring (1 November to 18 June) improved growth performance in fish, resulting in a 30% increase in mean body mass relative to the ambient photoperiod fish by 12 August, but had no effect on sexual maturation. Significant increases in body mass in the continuous light groups were observed after 126 days (P<0.01). The number of fast muscle fibres per trunk cross-section was determined in a subset of the fish and was 28.5% higher in the continuous light (799 x 10(3)) than the natural day length (644 x 10(3)) groups after only 40 days, corresponding to the period of decreasing natural day length. Subsequent rates of fibre recruitment were similar between treatments. At the end of the fibre recruitment phase of growth (combined June and August samples), the maximum number of fast muscle fibres was 23% higher in fish from the cages receiving continuous light (881 x 10(3)+/-32 x 10(3); N=19) than in the ambient photoperiod cages (717 x 10(3)+/-15 x 10(3); N=20) (P<0.001). Continuous light treatment was associated with a shift in the distribution of fibre diameters, reflecting the altered patterns of fibre recruitment. However, the mean rate of fibre hypertrophy showed no consistent difference between treatments. There was a linear relationship between the myonuclear content of isolated single fibres and fibre diameter. On average, there were 27% more myonuclei in 150 microm-diameter fibres in the continuous light (3118 myonuclei cm(-1)) than the ambient photoperiod (2448 myonuclei cm(-1)) fish. After 40 days, continuous light treatment resulted in a transient increase in the density of myogenic progenitor cells, identified using a c-met antibody, to a level 70% above that of fish exposed to natural light. It is suggested that short days inhibited the proliferation of myogenic progenitor cells and that this was overcome by transferring fish to continuous light, causing an increase in the number of times the myogenic precursor cells divided and/or a decrease in cell cycle time. The net increase in myogenic progenitor cells resulted in proportional increases in the number and myonuclear content of fibres. The subsequent hypertrophy of these additional fibres can explain the delayed increase in body mass observed with continuous light treatment.