title: Morphological and biochemical analyses of otoliths of the ice-fish Chionodraco hamatus confirm a common origin with red-blooded species.
abstract: The morphology and composition of the three otoliths of the Antarctic ice-fish Chionodraco hamatus were studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The composition of the sagitta, lapillus and asteriscus protein matrices was also analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, western blots and confocal laser scanning microscopy to reveal the presence of and to localize the calcium-binding proteins calmodulin, calbindin and S-100. Morphological results indicated that the otoliths in this ice-fish were similar to those of Trematomus bernacchii, a red-blooded Antarctic species [B. Avallone et al. (2003) J. Submicrosc. Cytol. Pathol. 35, 69-76], but rather different from those of other teleosts. These two Antarctic species possessed a completely vateritic asteriscus, whereas their sagitta and lapillus were made mostly of aragonite. Parallel analysis of protein patterns in C. hamatus and T. bernacchii revealed that the sagitta significantly differed from the lapillus and asteriscus in both species. The sagitta did not contain the S-100 protein and showed calmodulin and calbindin located in discontinuous or incremental zones, respectively. These results demonstrate that the otoliths of C. hamatus and T. bernacchii share more resemblances than differences and support the idea of a common origin of these species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. mottacm@unina.it
authors.forename: Chiara Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: Bice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Avallone
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balassone
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balsamo
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fascio
authors.forename: Palma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simoniello
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tammaro
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marmo
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D064026:Calbindins; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000032:analysis; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000032:analysis; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D064026:Calbindins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002147:Calmodulin; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D009418:S100 Proteins