High incubation temperatures enhance mitochondrial energy metabolism in reptile embryos.
Developmental rate increases exponentially with increasing temperature in ectothermic animals, but the biochemical basis underlying this thermal dependence is largely unexplored. We measured mitochondrial respiration and metabolic enzyme activities of turtle embryos (Pelodiscus sinensis) incubated at different temperatures to identify the metabolic basis of the rapid development occurring at high temperatures in reptile embryos. Developmental rate increased with increasing incubation temperatures in the embryos of P. sinensis. Correspondingly, in addition to the thermal dependence of mitochondrial respiration and metabolic enzyme activities, high-temperature incubation further enhanced mitochondrial respiration and COX activities in the embryos. This suggests that embryos may adjust mitochondrial respiration and metabolic enzyme activities in response to developmental temperature to achieve high developmental rates at high temperatures. Our study highlights the importance of biochemical investigations in understanding the proximate mechanisms by which temperature affects embryonic development.
Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
Bao-Jun
BJ
Sun
1] Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China [2] University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Teng
T
Li
1] Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China [2] University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Jing
J
Gao
1] Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China [2] University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Liang
L
Ma
Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservational Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
Wei-Guo
WG
Du
D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007186:Incubators, Infant; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology*; D014426:Turtles / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*