Uptake and utilization of dissolved free amino acids by the brittlestar Microphiopholis gracillima (Say, 1852) (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) during disc regeneration
Dissolved organic material (DOM) may be especially important to marine organisms unable to feed due to lack of a digestive system, injury or autotomy. Disc autotomy by the brittlestar Microphiopholis gracillima includes loss of the gut and gonads, and precludes ingestion of particulate food by the animal until gut regeneration is complete. The influence of DOM on the rate of disc regeneration by autotomized M. gracillima was tested by incubating animals in artificial seawater containing different concentrations of amino acids. Rates of uptake of amino acids and excretion of amino acids, ammonia and urea by intact and regenerating M. gracillima individuals were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. Uptake and catabolism of leucine and glycine were examined using radioisotopic techniques. Both intact and regenerating M. gracillima increased their uptake of {sup 14}C-glycine with starvation, but rates of uptake were higher for intact animals. Catabolism of leucine and glycine, as evidenced by release of labeled CO{sub 2}, was highest among intact animals indicating that the amino acids were being used as energy sources during starvation. However, regenerating animals catabolized less than 2% of the labeled glycine acquired from seawater.
- Research Organization:
- South Carolina Univ., Columbia, SC (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5584249
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ECHINODERMS
BIOLOGICAL REGENERATION
GLYCINE
CATABOLISM
LEUCINE
ORGANIC MATTER
METABOLISM
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
SEAWATER
TRACER TECHNIQUES
UPTAKE
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INVERTEBRATES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WATER
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550501 - Metabolism- Tracer Techniques