Meeting Abstract

P2.41  Thursday, Jan. 5  Quantification of the oxygen binding proteins myoglobin and hemoglobin in the mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, during emersion SHIVER, N. B.*; GROVE, T. J.; Valdosta State University, Valdosta; Valdosta State University, Valdosta nshiver@valdosta.edu

The mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, is a tropical fish that can undergo emersion for > 1 month when it leaves the aquatic habitat of mangrove swamps and finds refuge in moist terrestrial habitats such under detritus or within decaying logs above the water line. Our lab is interested in examining expression patterns of the oxygen binding proteins myoglobin and hemoglobin in K. marmoratus as individuals switch from an aquatic to a terrestrial environment during emersion. To this end, we adapted protocols to determine hemoglobin and hematocrit in small blood samples obtained from individual fish. Hematocrit was 27.67 ± 1.22%, hemoglobin concentration was 7.41 ± 0.52 g/dL, and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) was 26.47 ± 0.94 g/dL in control (immersed) individuals. We are currently measuring hematocrit and hemoglobin protein in blood and myoglobin protein in heart ventricles of emersed individuals. This work was supported by National Science Foundation grant IOS-0817805 to T.J.G.