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The Journal of Experimental Biology 204, 3425-3441 (2001)
© 2001 The Company of Biologists Limited

Benefits of haemoglobin in the cladoceran crustacean Daphnia magna

R. Pirow^*, C. Bäumer and R. J. Paul

Institut für Zoophysiologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Hindenburgplatz 55, D-48143 Münster, Germany

*e-mail: pirow{at}uni-muenster.de

Accepted July 24, 2001

To determine the contribution of haemoglobin (Hb) to the hypoxia-tolerance of Daphnia magna, we exposed Hb-poor and Hb-rich individuals (2.4–2.8 mm long) to a stepwise decrease in ambient oxygen partial pressure (P_O2amb) over a period of 51 min from normoxia (20.56 kPa) to anoxia (<0.27 kPa) and looked for differences in their physiological performance. The haem-based concentrations of Hb in the haemolymph were 49 µmol l^–1 in Hb-poor and 337 µmol l^–1 in Hb-rich animals, respectively. The experimental apparatus made simultaneous measurement of appendage beating rate (fA), NADH fluorescence intensity (I_NADH) of the appendage muscles, heart rate (fH) and in vivo Hb oxygen-saturation possible. In response to progressive, moderate hypoxia, both groups showed pronounced tachycardia and a slight decrease in fA. The fA and fH of Hb-rich animals were generally 4–6 % lower than those of Hb-poor animals. In addition, Hb-rich animals showed a significant decrease in the P_O2amb at which the Hb in the heart region was half-saturated and a striking reduction in the critical P_O2amb of appendage-related variables. In Hb-poor animals, the I_NADH signal indicated that the oxygen supply to the limb muscle tissue started to become impeded at a critical P_O2amb of 4.75 kPa, although the high level of fA was largely maintained until 1.77 kPa. The obvious discrepancy between these two critical P_O2amb values suggested an anaerobic supplementation of energy provision in the range 4.75–1.77 kPa. The fact that I_NADH of Hb-rich animals did not rise until P_O2amb fell below 1.32 kPa strongly suggests that the extra Hb available to Hb-rich animals ensured an adequate oxygen supply to the limb muscle tissue in the P_O2amb range 4.75–1.32 kPa. This finding illustrates the physiological benefit of Hb in enabling the animal to sustain its aerobic metabolism as the energetically most efficient mode of fuel utilization under conditions of reduced oxygen availability.

Key words: Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Cladocera, Daphnia magna, zooplankton, haemoglobin, oxygen transport, ventilatory system, circulatory system, respiration, NADH.

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