High blood oxygen affinity in the air-breathing swamp eel Monopterus albus

Christian Damsgaard; Inge Findorf; Signe Helbo; Yigit Kocagoz; Rasmus Buchanan; Do Thi Thanh Huong; Roy E. Weber; Angela Fago; Mark Bayley; Tobias Wang

doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.08.001

High blood oxygen affinity in the air-breathing swamp eel Monopterus albus

Christian Damsgaard, Inge Findorf, Signe Helbo, Yigit Kocagoz, Rasmus Buchanan, Do Thi Thanh Huong, Roy E. Weber, Angela Fago, Mark Bayley, Tobias Wang

Department of Biology - Zoophysiology

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus, Zuiew 1793) is a facultative air-breathing fish with reduced gills. Previous studies have shown that gas exchange seems to occur across the epithelium of the buccopharyngeal cavity, the esophagus and the integument, resulting in substantial diffusion limitations that must be compensated by adaptations in others steps of the O₂ transport system to secure adequate O₂ delivery to the respiring tissues. We therefore investigated O₂ binding properties of whole blood, stripped hemoglobin (Hb), two major isoHb components and the myoglobin (Mb) from M. albus. Whole blood was sampled using indwelling catheters for blood gas analysis and determination of O₂ equilibrium curves. Hb was purified to assess the effects of endogenous allosteric effectors, and Mb was isolated from heart and skeletal muscle to determine its O₂ binding properties. The blood of M. albus has a high O₂ carrying capacity [hematocrit (Hct) of 42.4±4.5%] and binds O₂ with an unusually high affinity (P₅₀=2.8±0.4mmHg at 27°C and pH7.7), correlating with insensitivity of the Hb to the anionic allosteric effectors that normally decrease Hb-O₂ affinity. In addition, Mb is present at high concentrations in both heart and muscle (5.16±0.99 and 1.08±0.19mg ∙ g wet tissue⁻¹, respectively). We suggest that the high Hct and high blood O₂ affinity serve to overcome the low diffusion capacity in the relatively inefficient respiratory surfaces, while high Hct and Mb concentration aid in increasing the O₂ flux from the blood to the muscles.

Original language	English
Journal	Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Volume	178
Pages (from-to)	102-108
Number of pages	7
ISSN	1095-6433
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.08.001
Publication status	Published - Dec 2014

Keywords

Algorithms
Allosteric Regulation
Animals
Aquaculture
Biological Transport
Fish Proteins
Hematocrit
Hemoglobins
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Kinetics
Models, Biological
Muscle, Skeletal
Myocardium
Myoglobin
Oxygen
Oxygen Consumption
Protein Isoforms
Respiratory Mucosa
Smegmamorpha
Vietnam
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.08.001

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@article{bc2546ebe10941f494bf80d5da41da87,

title = "High blood oxygen affinity in the air-breathing swamp eel Monopterus albus",

abstract = "The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus, Zuiew 1793) is a facultative air-breathing fish with reduced gills. Previous studies have shown that gas exchange seems to occur across the epithelium of the buccopharyngeal cavity, the esophagus and the integument, resulting in substantial diffusion limitations that must be compensated by adaptations in others steps of the O₂ transport system to secure adequate O₂ delivery to the respiring tissues. We therefore investigated O₂ binding properties of whole blood, stripped hemoglobin (Hb), two major isoHb components and the myoglobin (Mb) from M. albus. Whole blood was sampled using indwelling catheters for blood gas analysis and determination of O₂ equilibrium curves. Hb was purified to assess the effects of endogenous allosteric effectors, and Mb was isolated from heart and skeletal muscle to determine its O₂ binding properties. The blood of M. albus has a high O₂ carrying capacity [hematocrit (Hct) of 42.4±4.5%] and binds O₂ with an unusually high affinity (P₅₀=2.8±0.4mmHg at 27°C and pH7.7), correlating with insensitivity of the Hb to the anionic allosteric effectors that normally decrease Hb-O₂ affinity. In addition, Mb is present at high concentrations in both heart and muscle (5.16±0.99 and 1.08±0.19mg ∙ g wet tissue⁻¹, respectively). We suggest that the high Hct and high blood O₂ affinity serve to overcome the low diffusion capacity in the relatively inefficient respiratory surfaces, while high Hct and Mb concentration aid in increasing the O₂ flux from the blood to the muscles.",

keywords = "Algorithms, Allosteric Regulation, Animals, Aquaculture, Biological Transport, Fish Proteins, Hematocrit, Hemoglobins, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Kinetics, Models, Biological, Muscle, Skeletal, Myocardium, Myoglobin, Oxygen, Oxygen Consumption, Protein Isoforms, Respiratory Mucosa, Smegmamorpha, Vietnam, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't",

author = "Christian Damsgaard and Inge Findorf and Signe Helbo and Yigit Kocagoz and Rasmus Buchanan and Huong, {Do Thi Thanh} and Weber, {Roy E.} and Angela Fago and Mark Bayley and Tobias Wang",

year = "2014",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.08.001",

language = "English",

volume = "178",

pages = "102--108",

journal = "Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology",

issn = "1095-6433",

publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",

}

High blood oxygen affinity in the air-breathing swamp eel Monopterus albus. / Damsgaard, Christian; Findorf, Inge; Helbo, Signe et al.
In: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, Vol. 178, 12.2014, p. 102-108.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - High blood oxygen affinity in the air-breathing swamp eel Monopterus albus

AU - Damsgaard, Christian

AU - Findorf, Inge

AU - Helbo, Signe

AU - Kocagoz, Yigit

AU - Buchanan, Rasmus

AU - Huong, Do Thi Thanh

AU - Weber, Roy E.

AU - Fago, Angela

AU - Bayley, Mark

AU - Wang, Tobias

PY - 2014/12

Y1 - 2014/12

N2 - The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus, Zuiew 1793) is a facultative air-breathing fish with reduced gills. Previous studies have shown that gas exchange seems to occur across the epithelium of the buccopharyngeal cavity, the esophagus and the integument, resulting in substantial diffusion limitations that must be compensated by adaptations in others steps of the O₂ transport system to secure adequate O₂ delivery to the respiring tissues. We therefore investigated O₂ binding properties of whole blood, stripped hemoglobin (Hb), two major isoHb components and the myoglobin (Mb) from M. albus. Whole blood was sampled using indwelling catheters for blood gas analysis and determination of O₂ equilibrium curves. Hb was purified to assess the effects of endogenous allosteric effectors, and Mb was isolated from heart and skeletal muscle to determine its O₂ binding properties. The blood of M. albus has a high O₂ carrying capacity [hematocrit (Hct) of 42.4±4.5%] and binds O₂ with an unusually high affinity (P₅₀=2.8±0.4mmHg at 27°C and pH7.7), correlating with insensitivity of the Hb to the anionic allosteric effectors that normally decrease Hb-O₂ affinity. In addition, Mb is present at high concentrations in both heart and muscle (5.16±0.99 and 1.08±0.19mg ∙ g wet tissue⁻¹, respectively). We suggest that the high Hct and high blood O₂ affinity serve to overcome the low diffusion capacity in the relatively inefficient respiratory surfaces, while high Hct and Mb concentration aid in increasing the O₂ flux from the blood to the muscles.

AB - The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus, Zuiew 1793) is a facultative air-breathing fish with reduced gills. Previous studies have shown that gas exchange seems to occur across the epithelium of the buccopharyngeal cavity, the esophagus and the integument, resulting in substantial diffusion limitations that must be compensated by adaptations in others steps of the O₂ transport system to secure adequate O₂ delivery to the respiring tissues. We therefore investigated O₂ binding properties of whole blood, stripped hemoglobin (Hb), two major isoHb components and the myoglobin (Mb) from M. albus. Whole blood was sampled using indwelling catheters for blood gas analysis and determination of O₂ equilibrium curves. Hb was purified to assess the effects of endogenous allosteric effectors, and Mb was isolated from heart and skeletal muscle to determine its O₂ binding properties. The blood of M. albus has a high O₂ carrying capacity [hematocrit (Hct) of 42.4±4.5%] and binds O₂ with an unusually high affinity (P₅₀=2.8±0.4mmHg at 27°C and pH7.7), correlating with insensitivity of the Hb to the anionic allosteric effectors that normally decrease Hb-O₂ affinity. In addition, Mb is present at high concentrations in both heart and muscle (5.16±0.99 and 1.08±0.19mg ∙ g wet tissue⁻¹, respectively). We suggest that the high Hct and high blood O₂ affinity serve to overcome the low diffusion capacity in the relatively inefficient respiratory surfaces, while high Hct and Mb concentration aid in increasing the O₂ flux from the blood to the muscles.

KW - Algorithms

KW - Allosteric Regulation

KW - Animals

KW - Aquaculture

KW - Biological Transport

KW - Fish Proteins

KW - Hematocrit

KW - Hemoglobins

KW - Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

KW - Kinetics

KW - Models, Biological

KW - Muscle, Skeletal

KW - Myocardium

KW - Myoglobin

KW - Oxygen

KW - Oxygen Consumption

KW - Protein Isoforms

KW - Respiratory Mucosa

KW - Smegmamorpha

KW - Vietnam

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.08.001

DO - 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.08.001

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25139401

SN - 1095-6433

VL - 178

SP - 102

EP - 108

JO - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology

JF - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology

ER -

High blood oxygen affinity in the air-breathing swamp eel Monopterus albus

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Keywords

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