QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Patrick, M. L. Articles by Bradley, T. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Patrick, M. L. Articles by Bradley, T. J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Journal of Experimental Biology 204, 3345-3354 (2001)
© 2001 The Company of Biologists Limited

Sodium and chloride regulation in freshwater and osmoconforming larvae of Culex mosquitoes

Marjorie L. Patrick^1,*, Richard J. Gonzalez² and Timothy J. Bradley¹

¹ Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA and
² Department of Biology, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110, USA

*e-mail: mlpatric{at}uci.edu

Accepted July 3, 2001

In this study, we examined aspects of Na⁺ and Cl^– regulation in mosquito larvae of the genus Culex, a group that includes species that tolerate high salinity as well as other forms that are restricted to fresh water. When the euryhaline osmoconformer C. tarsalis was acutely transferred from 30 % to 50 % sea water, the patterns of hemolymph Na⁺ and Cl^– regulation were similar. The underlying regulatory mechanisms for these two ions have very different characteristics. In C. tarsalis, Na⁺ efflux was significantly elevated compared with the rates measured in the freshwater-restricted C. quinquefasciatus, while Cl^– influx was relatively lower. The modulation of Na⁺ efflux and Cl^– influx allowed C. tarsalis to avoid a potential salt load and ionic disturbance in the hemolymph during an acute increase  in salinity. The observed adjustment of NaCl regulation departs from that determined for other euryhaline organisms and is integral to the osmoconforming response. At the other extreme of the salinity spectrum, we observed that C. tarsalis faces difficulties in ion regulation in habitats with low NaCl levels because of its inability to reduce ion efflux and adjust ion absorption rates to maintain hemolymph ion balance. In contrast, C. quinquefasciatus exhibited a reduced ion efflux and the ability to upregulate Na⁺ uptake, traits necessary to extend its lower salinity limit.

Key words: Culex tarsalis, Culex quinquefasciatus, sodium, chloride, ion regulation, uptake, efflux, mosquito, larva, osmoconformer.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Donini, M. P. Gaidhu, D. R. Strasberg, and M. J. O'Donnell Changing salinity induces alterations in hemolymph ion concentrations and Na+ and Cl- transport kinetics of the anal papillae in the larval mosquito, Aedes aegypti J. Exp. Biol., March 15, 2007; 210(6): 983 - 992. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]