Meeting Abstract
P3.43 Sunday, Jan. 6 Characterizing the response of penaeid shrimp hemocyanin to chronic moderate hypoxia exposure TOMMERDAHL, A.P.*; BURNETT, L.E.; BURNETT, K.G.; College of Charleston; College of Charleston; College of Charleston annatommerdahl@gmail.com
As the size, intensity, and frequency of hypoxic zones continues to increase in nearshore marine habitats worldwide, it is important to understand the potential effects this will have on marine organisms. The penaeid white shrimp Litopenaeus setiferus and brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus are both found in high abundances in Charleston Harbor and provide good model organisms to study these effects; they inhabit estuaries that regularly experience hypoxia and play important ecological and economical roles. The related species Litopenaeus vannamei (Pacific whiteleg shrimp) is the most common aquacultured shrimp species worldwide, giving economic importance to understanding their ability to cope with hypoxia commonly found in aquaculture ponds. Previous studies have shown that hemocyanin (Hc), the respiratory pigment in these species, increases in concentration and oxygen affinity following chronic moderate hypoxia exposure. Our goals are to determine differences in Hc concentration and O2 affinity among the three species and characterize the effects of chronic hypoxia (30% air saturation) on these parameters. L. vannamei [Hc] (10.0±0.27SEM g/100mL, n=35) is much higher than that found in both wild brown (4.7±0.53SEM g/100mL, n=7) and white (8.4±0.45SEM g/100mL, n=20) shrimp, with significant increases in [Hc] occurring in both wild species after at least 25 days in hypoxia. No discernible change in oxygen affinity was detected over this time. In contrast, selection for high growth and disease resistance in the aquaculture shrimp has presumably contributed to high basal [Hc] and O2 affinity that do not appear to respond to chronic hypoxia exposure. (NSF IOS-1147008)
