title: Seasonal acclimatization of brain lipidome in a eurythermal fish (Carassius carassius) is mainly determined by temperature.
abstract: Crucian carp (Carassius carassius) is an excellent vertebrate model for studies on temperature adaptation in biological excitable membranes, since the species can tolerate temperatures from 0 to +36 degrees C. To determine how temperature affects the lipid composition of brain, the fish were acclimated for 4 wk at +30, +16, or +4 degrees C in the laboratory, or seasonally acclimatized individuals were captured from the wild throughout the year (temperature = +1 to +23 degrees C), and the brain glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid compositions were analyzed in detail by electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. Numerous significant temperature-related changes were found in the molecular species composition of the membrane lipids. The most notable and novel finding was a large (approximately 3-fold) increase of the di-22:6n-3 phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine species in the cold. Since the increase of 22:6n-3 in the total fatty acyl pool of the brain was small, the formation of di-22:6n-3 aminophospholipid species appears to be a specific adaptation to low temperature. Such highly unsaturated species could be needed to maintain adequate membrane fluidity in the vicinity of transporters and other integral membrane proteins. Plasmalogens increased somewhat at higher temperatures, possibly to protect membranes against oxidation. The modifications of brain lipidome during the 4-wk laboratory acclimation were, in many respects, similar to those found in the wild, which indicates that the seasonal changes observed in the wild are temperature dependent rather than induced by other environmental factors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland. reijo.kakela@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Reijo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Käkelä
authors.forename: Minja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermansson
authors.forename: Perttu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haimi
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uphoff
authors.forename: Vesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Paajanen
authors.forename: Pentti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Somerharju
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vornanen
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002347:Carps / Q000502:physiology*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000502:physiology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010718:Phosphatidylserines