Physiological and biochemical changes associated with massive mortality events occurring in larvae of American oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

Type Article
Date 2011-07
Language English
Author(s) Genard Bertrand1, Pernet FabriceORCID2, 3, Lemarchand Karine1, Boudry PierreORCID4, Moraga Dario5, Tremblay Rejean1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Inst Rech Zones Cotieres, Shippegan, NB E8S 2L7, Canada.
2 : Univ Quebec, Inst Sci Mer, Rimouski, PQ G5L 3A1, Canada.
3 : IFREMER, Lab Environm Ressources Languedoc Roussillon, F-34203 Sete, France.
4 : IFREMER, UMR Physiol & Ecophysiol Mollusques Marins M100, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
5 : Univ Bretagne Occidentale, Inst Univ Europeen Mer, Lab Sci Environm Marin, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
Source Aquatic Living Resources (0990-7440) (Edp Sciences S A), 2011-07 , Vol. 24 , N. 3 , P. 247-260
DOI 10.1051/alr/2011114
WOS© Times Cited 23
Keyword(s) Massive mortality, Larvae, Microbial environment, Lipid, Fatty acids, Energy metabolism, Oxidative stress, Antioxidant enzymes, Crassostrea virginica
Abstract In this paper, biochemical and physiological analyses were used to characterize changes associated with mortality event occurred during veliger development of American oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Biochemical analyses included the evaluation of lipid classes, fatty acid composition and total protein content. Larval physiology was evaluated by studying feeding activity, enzymes related to energy metabolism, oxidative stress levels and enzymatic antioxidant defenses. These analyses were complemented by bacterial community analyses as well as by measuring larval oyster performance. We observed that mortality events coincided with (1) strong changes in the surrounding bacterial community; (2) a progressive decrease in feeding activity; (3) higher levels of some lipid classes (free fatty acids, diglycerides, and acetone mobile phospholipids); (4) lower levels of phospholipids and protein; (5) higher contents of non-methylene interrupted dienoic fatty acids (22:2 NMI); (6) a decrease in energy metabolism activity (citrate synthase and cytochrome oxidase activities); (7) a higher oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation level); and (8) an activation of antioxidant defences before mortality (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase). We hypothesized that mortality emergence was related to higher energy consumption coupled with the progressive decline in feeding activity, lowered energy reserves and a decrease in energy metabolism activity. Thus, the low energy availability limited the efficiency of antioxidant defenses, resulting in a higher oxidative stress.
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Genard Bertrand, Pernet Fabrice, Lemarchand Karine, Boudry Pierre, Moraga Dario, Tremblay Rejean (2011). Physiological and biochemical changes associated with massive mortality events occurring in larvae of American oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Aquatic Living Resources, 24(3), 247-260. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1051/alr/2011114 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00051/16231/