Responses to chronic hypoxia in embryonic alligators.
To investigate developmental responses to chronic hypoxia, we incubated alligator eggs at 17% O2 and 21% O2 for the entire course of embryonic development and for 5 months post-hatching. Hypoxic-incubated alligators hatched later and at a smaller size. Hematocrit was significantly higher in hypoxic-incubated animals immediately post-hatch. Allosteric modification of hemoglobin oxygen affinity did not appear to play a role in the adaptation to hypoxia, given equal nucleotide triphosphate-to-hemoglobin ratios in the hypoxic and normoxic groups. When acutely exposed to 21% O2, hypoxic-incubated alligators maintained oxygen consumption relative to their normoxic siblings despite their lower mass.
Warburton
S J
SJ
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 39154, USA.
Hastings
D
D
Wang
T
T
D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles / Q000196:embryology*; D000818:Animals; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D000860:Hypoxia; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012044:Regression Analysis