Open AccessAmmonia exposure affects the mRNA and protein expression levels of certain Rhesus glycoproteins in the gills of climbing perch
Author(s) -
Xiu L. Chen,
Biyan Zhang,
You R. Chng,
Jasmine L. Y. Ong,
Shit F. Chew,
Wai P. Wong,
Siew Hong Lam,
Tsutomu Nakada,
Yuen K. Ip
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of experimental biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1477-9145
pISSN - 0022-0949
DOI - 10.1242/jeb.157123
Subject(s) - anabas testudineus , gill , biology , cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator , excretion , apical membrane , biochemistry , ammonia , osmoregulation , microbiology and biotechnology , perch , ecology , fishery , gene , membrane , salinity , fish <actinopterygii>
The freshwater climbing perch, Anabas testudineus, is an obligate air-breathing and euryhaline teleost capable of active ammonia excretion and tolerance of high concentrations of environmental ammonia. As Rhesus glycoproteins (RhGP/Rhgp) are known to transport ammonia, this study aimed to obtain the complete cDNA coding sequences of various rhgp isoforms from the gills of A. testudineus, and to determine their mRNA and protein expression levels during 6 days of exposure to 100 mmol l−1 NH4Cl. The subcellular localization of Rhgp isoforms in the branchial epithelium was also examined in order to elucidate the type of ionocyte involved in active ammonia excretion. Four rhgp (rhag, rhbg, rhcg1 and rhcg2) had been identified from the gills of A. testudineus. They had conserved amino acid residues for NH4+ binding, NH4+ deprotonation, channel gating and lining of the vestibules. Despite inwardly-directed NH3 and NH4+ gradients, there were significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of the four branchial rhgp in A. testudineus at certain time points during 6 days of ammonia exposure, with significant increases in the protein abundances of Rhag and Rhcg2 on day 6. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed a type of ammonia-inducible Na+/K+-ATPase α1c-immunoreactive ionocyte with apical Rhag and basolateral Rhcg2 in the gills of fish exposed to ammonia for 6 days. Hence, active ammonia excretion may involve NH4+ entering the ionocyte through the basolateral Rhcg2 and being excreted through the apical Rhag, driven by a transapical membrane electrical potential generated by the apical cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl− channel as suggested previously.