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Journal of Experimental Biology 69,13-21 (1977)
Published by Company of Biologists 1977

A Calcium-Dependent Mechanism Responsible for Increasing the Freezing Tolerance of the Bivalve Mollusc Modiolus Demissus

DENNIS J. MURPHY ¹

¹ Department of Zoology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742; Department of Zoology, Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut 06320

1. A time course of the changes in blood Ca²⁺ and freezing tolerance of Modiolus demissus (Dillwyn) demonstrated that increases in freezing tolerance parallel increases in blood Ca²⁺. The increases in freezing tolerance occurred rapidly, suggesting that Ca²⁺ affects freezing tolerance directly by its presence in the blood.

2. The presence of La³⁺ reduced the freezing tolerance of isolated foot muscle. Thus, Ca²⁺ appears to increase freezing tolerance directly by binding to cell membranes.

3. The loss of the contractile response of freeze-thawed foot muscle to Ach, KCl and caffeine and the continued response to CaCl₂ suggested that cell membranes are the primary sites of freezing injury.

4. The increase in blood Ca²⁺ following low-temperature acclimation accounted for only 40% of the total change in freezing tolerance. Therefore, other mechanisms responsible for increasing the freezing tolerance of M. demissus following low temperature acclimation also exist.

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