Metabolic Adaptation and Regulation in Aquatic Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 5885

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
CCMAR-CIMAR LA Centre for Marine Sciences, Campus de Gambelas, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: ecophysiology; fish; aquatic animals; endocrine regulation; osmoregulation; stress response; metabolic trade-offs; extreme environments; climate change; invasive fish
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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
Interests: fish physiology; ion and nitrogen regulation; hypoxia; temperature and metabolism; stomach loss evolution; membrane transport proteins; immuno-detection techniques; molecular genetics

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Guest Editor
IRTA, Centre de La Ràpita, Aquaculture Program, 43540 La Ràpita, Spain
Interests: mucosal health; skin mucus; metabolism; stress and hormone regulation; enzymatic function; physiological indicators; aquaculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquatic environments are extremely diverse and dynamic and feature some of the most severe habitats on the planet. Aquatic animals may face fluctuating or extreme temperatures, salinities or pH, very low oxygen concentrations, high ammonia, toxicants or disruptors, continuous exposure to potential pathogenic agents, and predation and competition from established or invasive species.

Measuring adaptation and the costs of living under such conditions is less than easy. In recent years “classic metabolism techniques” have been revisited and metabolic rates are often used as a proxy to measure the amplitude of responses to such variations and the trade-offs of acclimation. The use of internal loggers and other less invasive methods to track metabolic status are increasing, allowing us to increase our sampling scope. Nonetheless adaptation relies on molecular, cellular, and endocrine or other regulatory mechanisms underlying such metabolic changes, that ultimately determine the extent of the response and the distribution of organisms.

This special issue will welcome papers on genetic, cellular or organism metabolic responses and their regulation in aquatic animals in relation to environment, climate change, conservation, development, nutrition, or welfare, among other, in wild and cultured species, using methodologies ranging from respirometry to -omics.

Dr. Pedro Miguel Guerreiro
Dr. Jonathan Mark Wilson
Dr. Ignasi Sanahuja
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • aquatic animals
  • metabolic response
  • endocrine regulation
  • energy budget
  • metabolomics
  • environmental change
  • temperature
  • hypoxia
  • osmoregulation
  • conservation
  • aquaculture
  • genetic background
  • methodological approaches

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3311 KiB  
Article
Improving the Aerobic Capacity in Fingerlings of European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) through Moderate and Sustained Exercise: A Metabolic Approach
by Miquel Perelló-Amorós, Jaume Fernández-Borràs, Shengnan Yu, Albert Sánchez-Moya, Daniel García de la serrana, Joaquín Gutiérrez and Josefina Blasco
Animals 2024, 14(2), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020274 - 16 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 859
Abstract
Sustained swimming induces beneficial effects on growth and energy metabolism in some fish species. However, the absence of a standardized exercise regimen that guarantees an optimal response to physical activity is due to the anatomical, behavioral, and physiological differences among species, and the [...] Read more.
Sustained swimming induces beneficial effects on growth and energy metabolism in some fish species. However, the absence of a standardized exercise regimen that guarantees an optimal response to physical activity is due to the anatomical, behavioral, and physiological differences among species, and the different conditions of tests applied, which are especially notable for the early stages of cultured species. The objective of this study was to assess the growth and metabolic responses of European sea bass submitted to continuous and moderate exercise exposure, selecting a practical swimming speed from swimming tests of groups of five fingerlings. The exercise-effects trial was carried out with 600 sea bass fingerlings (3–5 g body weight) distributed in two groups (control: voluntary swimming; exercised: under sustained swimming at 1.5 body lengths·s−1). After 6 weeks, growth parameters and proximal composition of both muscles were not altered by sustained swimming, but an increased synthetic capacity (increased RNA/DNA ratio) and more efficient use of proteins (decreased ΔN15) were observed in white muscle. The gene expression of mitochondrial proteins in white and red muscle was not affected by exercise, except for ucp3, which increased. The increase of UCP3 and Cox4 protein expression, as well as the higher COX/CS ratio of enzyme activity in white muscle, pointed out an enhanced oxidative capacity in this tissue during sustained swimming. In the protein expression of red muscle, only CS increased. All these metabolic adaptations to sustained exercise were also reflected in an enhanced maximum metabolic rate (MMR) with higher aerobic scope (AMS) of exercised fish in comparison to the non-trained fish, during a swimming test. These results demonstrated that moderate sustained swimming applied to sea bass fingerlings can improve the physical fitness of individuals through the enhancement of their aerobic capacities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Adaptation and Regulation in Aquatic Animals)
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19 pages, 3049 KiB  
Article
Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Efficacy of Steroidal Saponins for Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Hybrid Grouper (♀Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂Epinephelus lanceolatu) Fed Higher-Lipid Diets
by Hongjin Deng, Guiqiong Chen, Jiacheng Zhang, Qihui Yang, Xiaohui Dong, Shiwei Xie, Weixing Liang, Beiping Tan and Shuyan Chi
Animals 2023, 13(18), 2894; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182894 - 12 Sep 2023
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Abstract
An analysis of the extent of the effect of steroidal saponin addition on glucose and lipid metabolism in hybrid grouper liver was performed at the transcriptomic and metabolomic levels. Feeds (52% crude protein, 14% crude lipid) were prepared containing 0% (S0), [...] Read more.
An analysis of the extent of the effect of steroidal saponin addition on glucose and lipid metabolism in hybrid grouper liver was performed at the transcriptomic and metabolomic levels. Feeds (52% crude protein, 14% crude lipid) were prepared containing 0% (S0), 0.1% (S0.1), and 0.2% (S0.2) steroidal saponins. After eight weeks of feeding trial, compared to the S0 group, the activities of serum albumin, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate transaminase were significantly lower and the activities of lysozyme, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase were significantly higher in the S0.1 group (p < 0.05). The superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in the livers of the S0.1 group were significantly higher than those of the S0 group, while the malondialdehyde content was significantly lower than that of the S0 group (p < 0.05). There were forty-two differentially expressed genes and thirty-two differential metabolites associated with glucose and lipid metabolism enriched using KEGG and GO. In the S0 group, the expression of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1, prostaglandin E synthase 1, and thromboxane-2 synthase mRNA was significantly higher than in the S0.1 group (p < 0.05). The expression levels of genes in the S0 group were significantly higher than those in the S0.1 group (p < 0.05), including for glycogen synthase kinase, glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit 2, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, glucose transporter 4, and malate dehydrogenase. The expression of mRNA such as fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 was significantly lower in the S0.1 group than in the S0 group, while the expression of carnitine acyltransferase 1, acyl-CoA synthetase, and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase genes was significantly higher in the S0 group (p < 0.05). In summary, glycogen synthesis, gluconeogenesis, and the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway were inhibited by 0.1% steroidal saponins, and glycogenolysis, glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway were activated. This study aims to provide a reference for the formulation of grouper feeds with a higher crude-lipid level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Adaptation and Regulation in Aquatic Animals)
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13 pages, 1023 KiB  
Article
Metabolic Rates of Japanese Anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) during Early Development Using a Novel Modified Respirometry Method
by Dong In Kim
Animals 2023, 13(6), 1035; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13061035 - 12 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1706
Abstract
The allometric relationship between metabolic rate (VO2) and body mass (M) has been a subject of fascination and controversy for decades. Nevertheless, little is known about intraspecific size-scaling metabolism in marine animals such as teleost fish. The [...] Read more.
The allometric relationship between metabolic rate (VO2) and body mass (M) has been a subject of fascination and controversy for decades. Nevertheless, little is known about intraspecific size-scaling metabolism in marine animals such as teleost fish. The Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus is a planktotrophic pelagic fish with a rapid growth and metabolic rate. However, metabolic rate measurements are difficult in this species due to their extremely small body size after hatching. Herein, the metabolic rate of this species during its early developmental stage was measured for 47 individuals weighing 0.00009–0.09 g (from just after hatching to 43 days old) using the micro-semi-closed method, a newly modified method for monitoring metabolism developed specifically for this study. As a result, three distinct allometric phases were identified. During these phases, two stepwise increases in scaling constants occurred at around 0.001 and 0.01 g, although the scaling exponent constant remained unchanged in each phase (b^ = 0.683). Behavioral and morphological changes accompanied the stepwise increases in scaling constants. Although this novel modified respirometry method requires further validation, it is expected that this study will be useful for future metabolic ecology research in fish to determine metabolism and survival strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Adaptation and Regulation in Aquatic Animals)
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21 pages, 2656 KiB  
Article
Metabolic Responses and Resilience to Environmental Challenges in the Sedentary Batrachoid Halobatrachus didactylus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
by Juan Manuel Molina, Andreas Kunzmann, João Pena Reis and Pedro Miguel Guerreiro
Animals 2023, 13(4), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040632 - 11 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1425
Abstract
In the context of climate change, warming of the seas and expansion of hypoxic zones are challenges that most species of fish are, or will be subjected to. Understanding how different species cope with these changes in their environment at the individual level [...] Read more.
In the context of climate change, warming of the seas and expansion of hypoxic zones are challenges that most species of fish are, or will be subjected to. Understanding how different species cope with these changes in their environment at the individual level can shed light on how populations and ecosystems will be affected. We provide first-time estimates on the metabolic rates, thermal, and oxygen-related limits for Halobatrachus didactylus, a coastal sedentary fish that lives in intertidal environments of the Northeast Atlantic. Using respirometry in different experimental designs, we found that this species is highly resistant to acute thermal stress (CTmax: 34.82 ± 0.66 °C) and acute hypoxia (Pcrit: 0.59–1.97 mg O2 L−1). We found size-specific differences in this stress response, with smaller individuals being more sensitive. We also quantified its aerobic scope and daily activity patterns, finding this fish to be extremely sedentary, with one of the lowest standard metabolic rates found in temperate fish (SMR: 14.96 mg O2 kg−1h−1). H. didactylus activity increases at night, when its metabolic rate increases drastically (RMR: 36.01 mg O2 kg−1h−1). The maximum metabolic rate of H. didactylus was estimated to be 67.31 mg O2 kg−1h−1, producing an aerobic scope of 52.35 mg O2 kg−1h−1 (77.8% increase). The metrics obtained in this study prove that H. didactylus is remarkably resilient to acute environmental variations in temperature and oxygen content, which might enable it to adapt to the extreme abiotic conditions forecasted for the world’s oceans in the near future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolic Adaptation and Regulation in Aquatic Animals)
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