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Journal of Experimental Biology 154,305-320 (1990)
Published by Company of Biologists 1990

Temperature Acclimation Effects on Carp Nerve: a Comparison of Nerve Conduction, Membrane Fluidity and Lipid Composition

A. A. HARPER ¹, P. W. WATT ¹, N. A. HANCOCK ¹, and A. G. MACDONALD ²

¹ The Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, Scotland, UK
² School of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Physiology, Marischal College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB9 1AS, Scotland, UK

1. This paper describes the effects in vitro of temperature (5–35°C) on the conduction properties of vagus nerves from freshwater carp Cyprinus carpio L., either cold-(8°C) or warm-(28°C) acclimated. The results are related to changes in the physical state and lipid composition of brain membrane fractions.

2. The temperature dependence of the conduction velocity of the C (unmyelinated) component of the compound action potential (AP) were determined using Arrhenius plots. The relationship between log time-to-peak AP and the reciprocal of absolute temperature (1/K) is best described by two linear components. The grouped data for the warm-acclimated group had a break point at 23.6°C. At temperatures above 24°C the activation energy E_a was 18.3±8.33KJ mol^-1 and below 24°C E_a was 49.7±3.78kJmol^-1. The break-point for cold-acclimated nerves was 17.4°C with E_a values of 41.2±2.65 and 13.2±3.63 kJmol^-1 below and above this temperature, respectively.

3. The Arrhenius plots of the fast—conducting A (myelinated) component of the AP for the warm- and for the cold-acclimated group were better fitted by two linear relationships with E_a values of 42.0±2.16 and 86.9±4.55kJmol^-1 above and below the break at 13.1°C for the warm-and cold-activated nerves, respectively, and E_a values of 18.0-5.45 and 58.8-4.08 kJmol^-1 above and below the break point, 19.3°C, for warm-and cold-acclimated nerves, respectively.

4. Steady-state fluorescent polarization of l,6-diphenyl-l,3,5-hexatriene-(DPH) labelled synaptosomal and myelin fractions of carp brain indicated partial homeoviscous adaptation in the membranes. Since there were no appreciable differences in their fatty acids, changes in membrane composition other than in the phospholipid fatty acids presumably occurred.

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