Digestive flexibility in response to high environmental salinity and temperature in the non-symbiotic sea anemone Bunodosoma zamponii

DEL VALLE, J.C; ACUÑA,F.H.; LÓPEZ MAÑANES, A,A.

Encuentro; XV Annual Meeting Argentine Biology Society; 2013

Studies on digestive flexibility at the biochemical level in relation to high environmental salinity and temperature in non-symbiotic sea anemones are lacking. The aim was to study maltase (Mal) and proteolytic (Pr) activities in coelenteron mesenterial filaments (MF) in Bunodosoma zamponii from the intertidal area of Punta Cantera (Mar del Plata, Bs. As.) acclimated to 35 and 40 psu and after an acute enhancement (15 min) of temperature from 20°C to 30ºC. The supernatant (10000xg 15min) from MF homogenate (0.5M Tris-HCl, pH 7.4) (4ml buffer x g of tissue-1) was used. Mal (μg glucosa x mg prot-1 x min-1) was assayed by hydrolysis of 28.0 mM of maltose in 0.1 M maleate/NaOH buffer (pH 6.4) at 37°C and Pr (U.h−1.mg protein−1) by hydrolysis of 1% w/v azocasein in 0.1 M Tris?HCl buffer (pH 7.5) Mal activity was higher in 40 psu (80%) (35psu: 21.58±5.18,40 psu=38.90±7.89, T=34 P=0.017) and upon the increase in temperature (99%) (20ºC: 21.58±5.18, 30ºC 43.13±9.14, T=25 P=0.026). Pr was not affected in any case (p>0.05). The results suggest the occurrence of specific digestive adjustments in relation to high salinity and temperature.