Mitochondrial Function in Antarctic Nototheniids with ND6 Translocation

• Published in: PLoS ONE
• Main Authors: Mark, Felix C., Lucassen, Magnus, Strobel, Anneli, Barrera-Oro, Esteban, Koschnick, Nils, Zane, Lorenzo, Patarnello, Tomaso, Pörtner, Hans O., Papetti, Chiara
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science 2012
• Subjects: Research Article; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3283701; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22363756; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031860

Fish of the suborder Notothenioidei have successfully radiated into the Southern Ocean and today comprise the dominant fish sub-order in Antarctic waters in terms of biomass and species abundance. During evolution in the cold and stable Antarctic climate, the Antarctic lineage of notothenioids developed several unique physiological adaptations, which make them extremely vulnerable to the rapid warming of Antarctic waters currently observed. Only recently, a further phenomenon exclusive to notothenioid fish was reported: the translocation of the mitochondrial gene encoding the NADH Dehydrogenase subunit 6 (ND6), an indispensable part of complex I in the mitochondrial electron transport system.