Myoglobin production in emperor penguins
Increased oxygen storage is essential to the diving capacities of marine mammals and seabirds. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this adaptation are unknown. Myoglobin (Mb) and Mb mRNA concentrations were analyzed in emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri ) adults and chicks with spectrop...
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fthighwire:oai:open-archive.highwire.org:jexbio:213/11/1901 2023-05-15T14:17:07+02:00 Myoglobin production in emperor penguins Ponganis, P. J. Welch, T. J. Welch, L. S. Stockard, T. K. 2010-06-01 00:00:00.0 text/html http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/213/11/1901 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.042093 en eng Company of Biologists http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/213/11/1901 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.042093 Copyright (C) 2010, Company of Biologists Research Articles TEXT 2010 fthighwire https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.042093 2015-02-28T21:03:54Z Increased oxygen storage is essential to the diving capacities of marine mammals and seabirds. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this adaptation are unknown. Myoglobin (Mb) and Mb mRNA concentrations were analyzed in emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri ) adults and chicks with spectrophotometric and RNase protection assays to evaluate production of their large Mb-bound O 2 stores. Mean pectoral Mb concentration and Mb mRNA content increased throughout the pre-fledging period and were 15-fold and 3-fold greater, respectively, in adults than in 3.5 month old chicks. Mean Mb concentration in 5.9 month old juveniles was 2.7±0.4 g 100 g−1 muscle (44% that of wild adults), and in adults that had been captive all their lives it was 3.7±0.1 g 100 g−1 muscle. The Mb and Mb mRNA data are consistent with regulation of Mb production at the level of transcription as in other animals. Significant Mb and Mb mRNA production occurred in chicks and young juveniles even without any diving activity. The further increase in adult Mb concentrations appears to require the exercise/hypoxia of diving because Mb concentration in captive, non-diving adults only reached 60% of that of wild adults. The much greater relative increase in Mb concentration than in Mb mRNA content between young chicks and adults suggests that there is not a simple 1:1 relationship between Mb mRNA content and Mb concentration. Nutritional limitation in young chicks and post-transcriptional regulation of Mb concentration may also be involved. Text Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins HighWire Press (Stanford University) Journal of Experimental Biology 213 11 1901 1906 |
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Research Articles Ponganis, P. J. Welch, T. J. Welch, L. S. Stockard, T. K. Myoglobin production in emperor penguins |
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Research Articles |
description |
Increased oxygen storage is essential to the diving capacities of marine mammals and seabirds. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this adaptation are unknown. Myoglobin (Mb) and Mb mRNA concentrations were analyzed in emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri ) adults and chicks with spectrophotometric and RNase protection assays to evaluate production of their large Mb-bound O 2 stores. Mean pectoral Mb concentration and Mb mRNA content increased throughout the pre-fledging period and were 15-fold and 3-fold greater, respectively, in adults than in 3.5 month old chicks. Mean Mb concentration in 5.9 month old juveniles was 2.7±0.4 g 100 g−1 muscle (44% that of wild adults), and in adults that had been captive all their lives it was 3.7±0.1 g 100 g−1 muscle. The Mb and Mb mRNA data are consistent with regulation of Mb production at the level of transcription as in other animals. Significant Mb and Mb mRNA production occurred in chicks and young juveniles even without any diving activity. The further increase in adult Mb concentrations appears to require the exercise/hypoxia of diving because Mb concentration in captive, non-diving adults only reached 60% of that of wild adults. The much greater relative increase in Mb concentration than in Mb mRNA content between young chicks and adults suggests that there is not a simple 1:1 relationship between Mb mRNA content and Mb concentration. Nutritional limitation in young chicks and post-transcriptional regulation of Mb concentration may also be involved. |
format |
Text |
author |
Ponganis, P. J. Welch, T. J. Welch, L. S. Stockard, T. K. |
author_facet |
Ponganis, P. J. Welch, T. J. Welch, L. S. Stockard, T. K. |
author_sort |
Ponganis, P. J. |
title |
Myoglobin production in emperor penguins |
title_short |
Myoglobin production in emperor penguins |
title_full |
Myoglobin production in emperor penguins |
title_fullStr |
Myoglobin production in emperor penguins |
title_full_unstemmed |
Myoglobin production in emperor penguins |
title_sort |
myoglobin production in emperor penguins |
publisher |
Company of Biologists |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/213/11/1901 https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.042093 |
genre |
Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins |
genre_facet |
Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor penguins |
op_relation |
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/short/213/11/1901 http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.042093 |
op_rights |
Copyright (C) 2010, Company of Biologists |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.042093 |
container_title |
Journal of Experimental Biology |
container_volume |
213 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
1901 |
op_container_end_page |
1906 |
_version_ |
1766289051642494976 |