title: Aerobic and anaerobic enzymatic activity of orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) and alfonsino (Beryx splendens) from the Juan Fernandez seamounts area.
abstract: The aerobic and anaerobic enzymatic activity of two important commercial bathypelagic species living in the Juan Fernández seamounts was analyzed: alfonsino (Beryx splendens) and orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus). These seamounts are influenced by the presence of an oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) located between 160 and 250 m depth. Both species have vertical segregation; alfonsino is able to stay in the OMZ, while orange roughy remains at greater depths. In this study, we compare the aerobic and anaerobic capacity of these species, measuring the activity of key metabolic enzymes in different body tissues (muscle, heart, brain and liver). Alfonsino has higher anaerobic potential in its white muscle due to greater lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity (190.2 μmol NADH min(-1) g ww(-1)), which is related to its smaller body size, but it is also a feature shared with species that migrate through OMZs. This potential and the higher muscle citrate synthase and electron transport system activities indicate that alfonsino has greater swimming activity level than orange roughy. This species has also a high MDH/LDH ratio in its heart, brain and liver, revealing a potential capacity to conduct aerobic metabolism in these organs under prolonged periods of environmental low oxygen conditions, preventing lactic acid accumulation. With these metabolic characteristics, alfonsino may have increased swimming activity to migrate and also could stay for a period of time in the OMZ. The observed differences between alfonsino and orange roughy with respect to their aerobic and anaerobic enzymatic activity are consistent with their characteristic vertical distributions and feeding behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Multiple-Drivers on Marine Socio-Ecological Systems (MUSELS), Universidad de Concepción, Barrio Universitario S/N, Concepción, Chile. lsaavedr@udec.cl.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Saavedra
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Universidad de Concepción, O'Higgins 1695, Concepción, Chile.|Departamento de Oceanografía, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160C, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Quiñones
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Biotecnología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160C, Concepción, Chile.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Saldía
authors.affiliation: Centro i~mar, Universidad de Los Lagos, Camino a Chinquihue Km 6, Casilla 557, Puerto Montt, ChileX Región.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Niklitschek
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase
keywords: Beryx splendens; Enzymatic activity; Hoplostethus atlanticus; Oxygen minimum zone; Seamounts