Metabolic rates of the antarctic amphipod Gondogeneia antarctica at different temperatures and salinities

Changes in environmental factors may deeply affect the energy budget of Antarctic organisms as many of them are stenothermal and/or stenohaline ectotherms. In this context, the aim of this study is to contribute to knowledge on variations in the energy demand of the Antarctic amphipod, Gondogeneia antarctica as a function of temperature and salinity. Experiments were held at the Brazilian Antarctic Station "Comandante Ferraz", under controlled conditions. Animals collected at Admiralty Bay were acclimated to temperatures of 0ºC; 2.5ºC and 5ºC and to salinities of 35, 30 and 25. Thirty measurements were made for each of the nine combinations of the three temperatures and three salinities, totalling 270 measurements. Metabolic rates were assessed by oxygen consumption and total nitrogenous ammonia excretion, in sealed respirometers. When acclimated to salinities 30 or 35, metabolic rates at 0ºC and 2.5ºC were very similar indicating a possible mechanism of metabolic compensation for temperature. At 5.0ºC, however, metabolic rates were always higher. Lower salinities enhanced the effects of temperature on metabolism and ammonia excretion rates. The physiological adaptations of individuals of G. antarctica suggest adaptive mechanisms for energy saving, adjusted to an environment with stable conditions of temperature and salinity. Little is known about the joint effects of salinity and temperature and this study is an important contribution to the understanding of the mechanism of polar organisms in their adaptation to both factors.Alterações ambientais podem modificar a alocação de energia dos organismos, principalmente dos ectotermos estenotérmicos e/ou estenohalinos. Nesse contexto, este trabalho contribui com o conhecimento da demanda de energia do anfípode antártico Gondogeneia antarctica em função da temperatura e da salinidade. Experimentos foram realizados na Estação Antártica Brasileira "Comandante Ferraz", em condições laboratoriais controladas. Animais coletados na Baía do Almirantado foram aclimatados a temperaturas de 0ºC; 2.5ºC e 5ºC e salinidades de 35, 30 and 25. Foram realizadas trinta medições para cada uma das nove combinações das três temperaturas com as três salinidades, totalizando 270 medições. As taxas metabólicas foram estimadas por meio do consumo de oxigênio e excreção de amônia, em câmaras respirométricas seladas. Quando aclimatados a salinidades 30 ou 35, as taxas metabólicas a 0ºC e 2.5ºC foram semelhantes indicando possível mecanismo de compensação térmica, nessa faixa de variação dos fatores. A 5.0ºC, no entanto, as taxas metabólicas foram sempre mais elevadas. Baixas salinidades potencializaram os efeitos da temperatura no consumo de oxigênio e na excreção de produtos nitrogenados. Os resultados estão relacionados a mecanismos adaptativos para economia de energia em indivíduos G. antarctica, ajustados a um ambiente que tem condições estáveis de temperatura e de salinidade. Pouco se sabe sobre os efeitos conjugados da salinidade e temperatura nos organismos e este trabalho é uma importante contribuição para esse conhecimento.CNPq-PROANTA

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements