Ocean acidification does not limit squid metabolism via blood oxygen supply.

Ocean acidification is hypothesized to limit the performance of squid owing to their exceptional oxygen demand and pH sensitivity of blood-oxygen binding, which may reduce oxygen supply in acidified waters. The critical oxygen partial pressure (Pcrit), the PO2  below which oxygen supply cannot match basal demand, is a commonly reported index of hypoxia tolerance. Any CO2-induced reduction in oxygen supply should be apparent as an increase in Pcrit In this study, we assessed the effects of CO2 (46-143 Pa; 455-1410 µatm) on the metabolic rate and Pcrit of two squid species - Dosidicus gigas and Doryteuthis pealeii - through manipulative experiments. We also developed a model, with inputs for hemocyanin pH sensitivity, blood PCO2  and buffering capacity, that simulates blood oxygen supply under varying seawater CO2 partial pressures. We compare model outputs with measured Pcrit in squid. Using blood-O2 parameters from the literature for model inputs, we estimated that, in the absence of blood acid-base regulation, an increase in seawater PCO2  to 100 Pa (≈1000 µatm) would result in a maximum drop in arterial hemocyanin-O2 saturation by 1.6% at normoxia and a Pcrit increase of ≈0.5 kPa. Our live-animal experiments support this supposition, as CO2 had no effect on measured metabolic rate or Pcrit in either squid species.

Utilization of Fishery Processing By-Product Squid Pens for α-Glucosidase Inhibitors Production by Paenibacillus sp.

The supernatants (the solution part received after centrifugation) of squid pens fermented by four species of Paenibacillus showed potent inhibitory activity against α-glucosidases derived from yeast (79-98%) and rats (76-83%). The inhibition of acarbose-a commercial antidiabetic drug, used against yeast and rat α-glucosidases-was tested for comparison; it showed inhibitory activity of 64% and 88%, respectively. Other chitinolytic or proteolytic enzyme-producing bacterial strains were also used to ferment squid pens, but no inhibition activity was detected from the supernatants. Paenibacillus sp. TKU042, the most active α-glucosidase inhibitor (aGI)-producing strain, was selected to determine the optimal cultivation parameters. This bacterium achieved the highest aGI productivity (527 µg/mL) when 1% squid pens were used as the sole carbon/nitrogen source with a medium volume of 130 mL (initial pH 6.85) in a 250 mL flask (48% of air head space), at 30 °C for 3-4 d. The aGI productivity increased 3.1-fold after optimization of the culture conditions. Some valuable characteristics of Paenibacillus aGIs were also studied, including pH and thermal stability and specific inhibitory activity. These microbial aGIs showed efficient inhibition against α-glucosidases from rat, yeast, and bacteria, but weak inhibition against rice α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 362, 252, 189, and 773 µg/mL, respectively. In particular, these aGIs showed highly stable activity over a large pH (2-13) and temperature range (40-100 °C). Various techniques, including: Diaoin, Octadecylsilane opened columns, and preparative HPLC coupled with testing bioactivity resulted in isolating a main active compound; this major inhibitor was identified as homogentisic acid (HGA). Notably, HGA was confirmed as a new inhibitor, a non-sugar-based aGI, and as possessing stronger activity than acarbose with IC50, and maximum inhibition values of 220 µg/mL, 95%, and 1510 µg/mL, 65%, respectively. These results suggest that squid pens, an abundant and low-cost fishery processing by-product, constitute a viable source for the production of antidiabetic materials via fermentation by strains of Paenibacillus. This fermented product shows promising applications in diabetes or diabetes related to obesity treatment due to their stability, potent bioactivity, and efficient inhibition against mammalian enzymes.

Pre-hatching fluoxetine-induced neurochemical, neurodevelopmental, and immunological changes in newly hatched cuttlefish.

Embryonic and early postembryonic development of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (a cephalopod mollusk) occurs in coastal waters, an environment subject to considerable pressure from xenobiotic pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues. Given the role of serotonin in brain development and its interaction with neurodevelopmental functions, this study focused on fluoxetine (FLX), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI, antidepressant). The goal was to determine the effects of subchronic waterborne FLX exposure (1 and 10 µg L(-1)) during the last 15 days of embryonic development on neurochemical, neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and immunological endpoints at hatching. Our results showed for the first time that organic contaminants, such as FLX, could pass through the eggshell during embryonic development, leading to a substantial accumulation of this molecule in hatchlings. We also found that FLX embryonic exposure (1 and 10 µg L(-1)) (1) modulated dopaminergic but not serotonergic neurotransmission, (2) decreased cell proliferation in key brain structures for cognitive and visual processing, (3) did not induce a conspicuous change in camouflage quality, and (4) decreased lysozyme activity. In the long term, these alterations observed during a critical period of development may impair complex behaviors of the juvenile cuttlefish and thus lead to a decrease in their survival. Finally, we suggest a different mode of action by FLX between vertebrate and non-vertebrate species and raise questions regarding the vulnerability of early life stages of cuttlefish to the pharmaceutical contamination found in coastal waters.

Identification and analysis of HSP70 from Sepiella maindroni under stress of Vibrio harveyi and Cd(2.).

The 70-kDa heat shock proteins (HSP70) play crucial roles in protecting cells against environmental stresses, such as heat shock, heavy metals and pathogenic bacteria. The full-length HSP70 cDNA of Sepiella maindroni (designated as SmHSP70, GenBank accession no. KJ739788) was 2109 bp, including an ORF of 1950 bp encoding a polypeptide of 649 amino acids with predicted pI/MW 5.24/71.30 kDa, a 62 bp-5'-UTR and a 97 bp-3'-UTR. BLASTp analysis and phylogenetic relationship strongly suggested that the amino acid sequence was a member of HSP70 family. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that SmHSP70 and other known HSP70 were highly conserved, especially in the regions of HSP70 family signatures, the bipartite nuclear targeting sequence, ATP/GTP-binding site motif and 'EEVD' motif. Time-dependent mRNA expression of SmHSP70 in the liver was recorded by quantitative real-time RT-PCR after Vibrio harveyi injection and Cd(2+) exposure. The results indicated that SmHSP70 played a significant role in mediating the environmental stress and immune response against pathogens.

Aminoglycoside-induced damage in the statocyst of the longfin inshore squid, Doryteuthis pealeii.

Squid are a significant component of the marine biomass and are a long-established model organism in experimental neurophysiology. The squid statocyst senses linear and angular acceleration and is the best candidate for mediating squid auditory responses, but its physiology and morphology are rarely studied. The statocyst contains mechano-sensitive hair cells that resemble hair cells in the vestibular and auditory systems of other animals. We examined whether squid statocyst hair cells are sensitive to aminoglycosides, a group of antibiotics that are ototoxic in fish, birds, and mammals. To assess aminoglycoside-induced damage, we used immunofluorescent methods to image the major cell types in the statocyst of longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealeii). Statocysts of live, anesthetized squid were injected with either a buffered saline solution or neomycin at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 3.0 mmol l(-1). The statocyst hair cells of the macula statica princeps were examined 5 h post-treatment. Anti-acetylated tubulin staining showed no morphological differences between the hair cells of saline-injected and non-injected statocysts. The hair cell bundles of the macula statica princeps in aminoglycoside-injected statocysts were either missing or damaged, with the amount of damage being dose-dependent. The proportion of missing hair cells did not increase at the same rate as damaged cells, suggesting that neomycin treatment affects hair cells in a nonlethal manner. These experiments provide a reliable method for imaging squid hair cells. Further, aminoglycosides can be used to induce hair cell damage in a primary sensory area of the statocyst of squid. Such results support further studies on loss of hearing and balance in squid.

Adverse effects of ocean acidification on early development of squid (Doryteuthis pealeii).

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is being absorbed into the ocean, altering seawater chemistry, with potentially negative impacts on a wide range of marine organisms. The early life stages of invertebrates with internal and external aragonite structures may be particularly vulnerable to this ocean acidification. Impacts to cephalopods, which form aragonite cuttlebones and statoliths, are of concern because of the central role they play in many ocean ecosystems and because of their importance to global fisheries. Atlantic longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealeii), an ecologically and economically valuable taxon, were reared from eggs to hatchlings (paralarvae) under ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations in replicated experimental trials. Animals raised under elevated pCO2 demonstrated significant developmental changes including increased time to hatching and shorter mantle lengths, although differences were small. Aragonite statoliths, critical for balance and detecting movement, had significantly reduced surface area and were abnormally shaped with increased porosity and altered crystal structure in elevated pCO2-reared paralarvae. These developmental and physiological effects could alter squid paralarvae behavior and survival in the wild, directly and indirectly impacting marine food webs and commercial fisheries.

Coordination of the arc regulatory system and pheromone-mediated positive feedback in controlling the Vibrio fischeri lux operon.

Bacterial pheromone signaling is often governed both by environmentally responsive regulators and by positive feedback. This regulatory combination has the potential to coordinate a group response among distinct subpopulations that perceive key environmental stimuli differently. We have explored the interplay between an environmentally responsive regulator and pheromone-mediated positive feedback in intercellular signaling by Vibrio fischeri ES114, a bioluminescent bacterium that colonizes the squid Euprymna scolopes. Bioluminescence in ES114 is controlled in part by N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3OC6), a pheromone produced by LuxI that together with LuxR activates transcription of the luxICDABEG operon, initiating a positive feedback loop and inducing luminescence. The lux operon is also regulated by environmentally responsive regulators, including the redox-responsive ArcA/ArcB system, which directly represses lux in culture. Here we show that inactivating arcA leads to increased 3OC6 accumulation to initiate positive feedback. In the absence of positive feedback, arcA-mediated control of luminescence was only ∼2-fold, but luxI-dependent positive feedback contributed more than 100 fold to the net induction of luminescence in the arcA mutant. Consistent with this overriding importance of positive feedback, 3OC6 produced by the arcA mutant induced luminescence in nearby wild-type cells, overcoming their ArcA repression of lux. Similarly, we found that artificially inducing ArcA could effectively repress luminescence before, but not after, positive feedback was initiated. Finally, we show that 3OC6 produced by a subpopulation of symbiotic cells can induce luminescence in other cells co-colonizing the host. Our results suggest that even transient loss of ArcA-mediated regulation in a sub-population of cells can induce luminescence in a wider community. Moreover, they indicate that 3OC6 can communicate information about both cell density and the state of ArcA/ArcB.

Mitochondrial dynamics underlying thermal plasticity of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) hearts.

In the eurythermal cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, performance depends on hearts that ensure systemic oxygen supply over a broad range of temperatures. We therefore aimed to identify adjustments in energetic cardiac capacity and underlying mitochondrial function supporting thermal acclimation and adaptation that could be crucial for the cuttlefish's competitive success in variable environments. Two genetically distinct cuttlefish populations were acclimated to 11, 16 and 21°C. Subsequently, skinned and permeabilised heart fibres were used to assess mitochondrial functioning by means of high-resolution respirometry and a substrate-inhibitor protocol, followed by measurements of cardiac citrate synthase and cytosolic enzyme activities. Temperate English Channel cuttlefish had lower mitochondrial capacities but larger hearts than subtropical Adriatic cuttlefish. Warm acclimation to 21°C decreased mitochondrial complex I activity in Adriatic cuttlefish and increased complex IV activity in English Channel cuttlefish. However, compensation of mitochondrial capacities did not occur during cold acclimation to 11°C. In systemic hearts, the thermal sensitivity of mitochondrial substrate oxidation was high for proline and pyruvate but low for succinate. Oxygen efficiency of catabolism rose as temperature changed from 11 to 21°C via shifts to oxygen-conserving oxidation of proline and pyruvate and via reduced relative proton leak. The changes observed for substrate oxidation, mitochondrial complexes, relative proton leak and heart mass improve energetic efficiency and essentially seem to extend tolerance to high temperatures and reduce associated tissue hypoxia. We conclude that cuttlefish sustain cardiac performance and, thus, systemic oxygen delivery over short- and long-term changes of temperature and environmental conditions by multiple adjustments in cellular and mitochondrial energetics.

Effects of nitric oxide donors on the afferent resting activity in the cephalopod statocyst.

The effects of bath applications of the nitric oxide (NO) donors sodium nitroprusside (SNP), diethylamine sodium (DEA), 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) on the resting activity (RA) of afferent crista fibers were studied in isolated statocysts of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. The NO donors had three different effects: inhibition, excitation, and excitation followed by an inhibition. The SNAP analog N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (xSNAP; with no NO moiety) had no effect. When the preparation was pre-treated with the NO synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitric-L-arginine methyl ester HCl (L-NAME), the NO donors were still effective. When the preparation was pre-treated with the guanylate cyclase inhibitors methylene blue (M-BLU) or cystamine (CYS), NO donors had only excitatory effects, whereas their effects were inhibitory only when pre-treatment was with the adenylate cyclase inhibitors nicotinic acid (NIC-A), 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (DDA), or MDL-12330A. When pre-treatment was with a guanylate and an adenylate cyclase inhibitor combined, NO donors had no effect; in that situation, the RA of the afferent fibers remained and the preparation still responded to bath applications of GABA. Selective experiments with statocysts from the squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana and the octopod Octopus vulgaris gave comparable results. These data indicate that in cephalopod statocysts an inhibitory NO-cGMP and an excitatory NO-cAMP signal transduction pathway exist, that these two pathways are the key pathways for the action of NO, and that they have only modulatory effects on, and are not essential for the generation of, the RA.

[The cholinesterase reactivity of the Komandor squid Berryteuthis magister. Substrates and organophosphorus inhibitors]. / Reaktsionnaia sposobnost' kholinésteraz komandorskogo kal'mara Berryteuthis magister. Substraty i fosfororganicheskie ingibitory.

With the substrate inhibition analysis it has been shown that the one enzyme is responsible for the choline-esterase activity of optic ganglia tissue of Comandor squid Berryteuthis magister from different regions of Bering and Japanese seas. The kinetic parameters of the choline-esterase hydrolysis with 8 choline esters have been determined. It demonstrates the wide spectrum of the substrate specificity of Comandor squid choline-esterase. The antienzyme efficiency for 18 organophosphorus inhibitors (among them 7 compounds containing acetylene group) has been investigated. Also the new information about choline-esterase "structure-action" connection for Comandor squid has been obtained. The quantitative differences in the substrate specificity and reactivity for organophosphorus inhibitors of choline-esterases of Comandor and Pacific squids have been obtained. It has not succeeded to find the intraspecific differences for Comandor squid species from various living zones using the investigated effects.

The effect of L-glutamate on the afferent resting activity in the cephalopod statocyst.

The effects of bath application of L-glutamate and of excitatory amino acid agonists and antagonists on the resting activity of afferent crista fibers were studied in isolated preparations of the statocyst of the cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis. L-Glutamate (threshold 10(-5) M) and its agonists quisqualate and kainate (thresholds 10(-6) M) increased the resting activity in a dose-dependent manner. Glutamine (threshold 10(-5) M) was also excitatory, while D-glutamate had no effect. Also, no obvious excitatory effects were seen for NMDA and L-aspartate, nor was any antagonistic effect seen for the selective NMDA-receptor antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (D-AP-5). The spider toxin Argiotoxin636 (threshold 10(-11) M), 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (AP-4), glutamic acid diethyl ester (GDEE), gamma-D-glutamylaminomethyl-sulfonic acid (GAMS), and kynurenic acid decreased the resting activity and effectively blocked or reversed the effect of L-glutamate and its non-NMDA agonists. Preliminary experiments with statocysts from the squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana and the octopod Octopus bimaculoides gave comparable results. All data show that in cephalopod statocysts L-glutamate, via non-NMDA receptors, has an excitatory effect on the activity of afferent fibers, an effect consistent with its possible function as a hair cell transmitter.

Toxicology of a bovine paraplegic syndrome.

A clinical entity named 'bovine paraplegic syndrome' ('síndrome parapléjico de los bovinos') has spread alarmingly in the cattle-growing areas of the central and eastern plains of Venezuela. It is estimated that four million cattle are bred in the area where the disease occurs. The mortality ranges from 5 to 25% of the animals at risk, mostly pregnant or lactating cows. The principal characteristic of the bovine paraplegic syndrome is ventral or sternal decubitus, in animals that make vain efforts to stand when stimulated. The diagnosis is established when all other possible causes (e.g. paralytic rabies, botulism and blood parasites such as Anaplasma marginal, Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, and Trypanosoma vivax) have been ruled out clinically and by laboratory tests. Death always occurs, usually after a few days, and there is no known treatment. In this work, we describe results that show the presence of a toxin in the cattle suffering from, or liable to suffer from the syndrome. The toxin is produced by ruminal bacteria. In squid giant axons under voltage clamp conditions, the toxin blocks the sodium current. We detected the toxin analytically by absorbance measurements at 340 nm after reacting with picrylsulfonic acid. We obtained a good separation of the toxin with isocratic high pressure liquid chromatography, using 40% methanol in water on phenylborasil columns.

[Toxinology of bovine paraplegic syndrome]. / Estudio sobre la toxinología del síndrome parapléjico de los bovinos.

A clinical entity named "Bovine Paraplegic Syndrome" ("Síndrome Parapléjico de los Bovinos") has spread alarmingly, in the cattle growing areas of the central and eastern plains of Venezuela. Approximately four million cattle are bread in the area were the disease occurs. The mortality index due to the disease ranges 5 to 25% of the animals at risk, mostly cows, pregnant or lactating. The principal characteristic of the bovine paraplegic syndrome is decubitus, ventral or sternal, in animals that make vane efforts to stand when stimulated. The diagnosis is established ruling out, clinically and with laboratory findings, that the animals are suffering known diseases with similar symptoms such as paralytic rabies, botulism and blood parasites such Trypanosoma sp., Babesia sp., and Anaplasma sp.. Death occurs always, usually after few days, and to this date there is no known treatment able to save the sick cows. In this work, we describe results that suggest the presence of a toxin in the cattle suffering and prone to suffer the syndrome; it is a natural toxin produced by ruminal bacteria. In squid giant axons under voltage clamp conditions, this toxin is very specific to block sodium current during nerve electrical activity.

Phloretin affects the fast potassium channels in frog nerve fibres.

The effect of phloretin (20-100 microM), a dipolar organic compound, on the voltage clamp currents of the frog node of Ranvier has been investigated. The Na currents are simply reduced in size but not otherwise affected. Phloretin has no effect on the slow 4-aminopyridine-resistant K channels. However, the voltage dependence and time course of the fast K conductance (gK) is markedly altered. The gK (E) curve, determined by measuring fast tail currents at different pulse potentials, normally exhibits a bend at -50 mV, indicating the existence of two types of fast K channels. Phloretin shifts the gK (E) curve to more positive potentials, reduces its slope and its maximum and abolishes the distinction between the two types of fast K channels. The effect becomes more pronounced with time. Phloretin also markedly slows the opening of the fast K channels, but has much less effect on the closing. Opening can be accelerated again by a long depolarizing prepulse which presumably removes part of the phloretin block. It is concluded that phloretin selectively affects the fast K channels of the nodal membrane. The results are compared with similar observations on the squid giant axon.

[Effect of nucleotides on N-methylcytisine and dimethyltubocurarine binding by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of the optic ganglia in the squid B. magister]. / Vliianie nukleotidov na sviazyvanie N-metiltsitizina i dimetiltubokurarina nikotinovymi atsetilkholinovymi retseptorami zritel'nykh gangliev kal'mara B. magister.

The effect of nucleosides mono-, di-, and triphosphates on binding of 3H-N-methylcytisine and 14C-tubocurarine to nAChR from squid optical ganglia were investigated. It was found, that ATP and GTP potentiate the specific binding of 3H-N-methylcytisine and inhibit the one of 14C-tubocurarine. While conducting the photoaffinity modification of nACHR by 3H-azidomethylcytisine in the presence of ATP the increase of specific incorporation of label was observed in comparison with control. Molecular weight of labeled receptor complex and subunit, carrying the binding site was the same as the original.

Deltamethrin causes changes in protein phosphorylation activities associated with post-depolarization events in the synaptosomes from the optic lobe of squid, Loligo pealei.

1. Deltamethrin causes a significant change in protein phosphorylation activities which follow depolarization. 2. The most significant change caused by deltamethrin was the prolonged elevation of the level of phosphorylation on a number of key synaptic proteins beyond the normal time of their recovery to the dephosphorylated state. 3. The best marker proteins reacting to deltamethrin in this manner were calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase and synapsin I.

[Interaction of reversible inhibitors with the cholinesterase of the squid Berryteuthis magister from different areas of the Bering Sea]. / Vzaimodeistvie obratimykh ingibitorov s kholinésterazoi kal'mara Berryteuthis magister iz raznykh raionov Beringova moria.

Studies have been made of the interaction of 13 onium reversible inhibitors with cholinesterase from the visual ganglia of the squid B. magister from various habitats (Kurile Islands, Olyutorsk-Navarin and Navarin-Alaskan regions). In some of the cases, differences were found between the enzymes from various specimens with respect to values of the generalized inhibitor constant (which is a measure of inhibitor effectiveness) and the pattern of inhibition. These data reveal intraspecific polymorphism in B. magister from the Bering Sea.