ISSN:
1573-5184
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Summary The CCs are the site of Cl− transport in teleosts in sea water. The gills of freshwater teleosts contain at least two types of mitochondria-rich cell, the α type and the β type (Pisam and Rambourg, 1991). During seawater acclimation, the β cells vanish and the α cells are transformed and proliferate, and accessory cells appear in addition. This gives rise to the question of the function of α cells in fish living in fresh water. According to the studies reviewed here, although they deal only with extrabranchial epithelia, the majority of evidence indicates that CCs (or MRCs) function as sites of active Ca2+ transport in freshwater teleosts. Moreover, some experimental results suggest that CCs are the Cl− uptake site in freshwater teleosts. The main problem in characterizing the CC function is that they have not yet been adequately described from the biochemical standpoint. This applies particularly to their metabolic pattern and the composition of their apical and basolateral membranes, including their integrated proteins and cell-cell junctions. Experiments with organ tissue cultures such as gill organ cultures from Oncorhynchus mykiss (McCormick and Bern, 1989) and opercular membrane cultures from Oreochromis mossambicus (McCormick, 1990) will almost certainly yield important results. Primary cell cultures of CCs would be even better for characterizing CCs. Such a cell culture of rainbow trout respiratory cells has already been established (Pärt et al., 1993).
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00179758
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