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The termal influence on the dynamics of cell membranes: a contribution to the conservation of Steindachneridion parahybae (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae), a threatened species of fish

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Author(s):
Cristiéle da Silva Ribeiro
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Doctoral Thesis
Press: São Paulo.
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB)
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Renata Guimarães Moreira; Alison Colquhoun; Ariovaldo Pereira da Cruz Neto; Carlos Arturo Navas Iannini; Neuza Sumiko Takahashi
Advisor: Renata Guimarães Moreira
Abstract

Temperature is the most important environmental factor affecting the activity of ectothermic animals such as fish. Compensatory adjustments to temperature occur with time courses ranging from less than a minute to more than a month, and membranes are the first targets affected by change of temperature, and their lipid components respond immediately to this challenge. This project aimed to estimate the allostatic capacity (in membrane structure and function) in the context of relevant climate variables, and to characterize the scope and the defense mechanisms available, including those yielding tolerance to acute and chronic temperature shifts. Steindachneridion parahybae juveniles, an endangered native fish species, were progressively cooled from 30°C to 24, 17 and 12°C, in which they were maintained for up to 5 days in the acute trial and for up 30 days in the chronic trial. Brain, liver and branchial tissues were sampled, with subsequent analyses of the main phospholipids fractions (phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and the positional analyses of each fraction), Na+/K+-ATPase activity and histomorphology of gills. The animals maintained atlower temperature showed a high rate of mortality, probably because this temperature is near the lower thermal limit for this species. The activity of Na+ K+ATPase increased at lower temperatures, the same pattern observed for morphological injuries in gills and increased liver mass. Generally the fatty acid profiles of PC remained more stable than those in PE. The acute test apparently had affected considerably C20-22n3 (liver PC and sn-1 PC; PE in brain and liver), while for the chronic test, C20-22n6 was more affected (PC and PE liver on sn-2 and sn-1). The acute trial showed a pattern of maintenance of brain membrane structure, with a decrease of PE-associated C20-22n3 in the liver and an increase of these fatty acids in brain during the test. In both tissues and fractions analyzed it was possible to detect significant evidences of membrane restructuring, showing that the Surubim do Paraiba was able to provide compensatory adjustments in acclimation responses (AU)