Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The composition and biosynthesis of lipids in Thysanoessa raschi from the Clyde Estuary, Scotland

  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The lipid composition and biosynthesising activity of Thysanoessa raschi collected from the Clyde Estuary, Scotland, in May 1981 were examined. Triacylglycerols were the major lipid class present, although 16.7% of the total lipid were wax esters in which phytol was the dominant fatty alcohol. The thoracic contents (“hepatopancreas”) of the krill were capable of biosynthesising lipids in vitro from various labelled substrates. Radioactivity from [1-14C] palmitic acid was incorporated into lipids in the order phospholipids>triacylglycerols>wax esters; the bulk of the radioactivity was present in all cases in the fatty acyl moieties of the lipids. [U-14C] glucose labelled lipids in the order phospholipids>triacylglycerols>free fatty acids> was esters; in the first two lipids the radioactivity was mainly in the glycerol moieties, whereas in was esters it was solely in the fatty acyl moieties. The extent of labelling of these lipids from [U-14C] alanine was less than that from [U-14C] glucose, but the pattern of labelling was generally similar. More than 90% of the radioactivity incorporated into total lipid from 3H2O was present in free fatty acids from which it was calculated that the “hepatopancreas” of T. raschi can synthesise 2.5 μg of fatty acid per hour at 15°C. This value is approximately three times lower than that previously determined for T. inermis from Balsfjorden, northern Norway. The results are discussed in terms of the sources of the dietary lipids of krill and the role of endogenous biosynthesis in contributing to its lipid reserves.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • Boon, J. J. and J. W. de Leeuw: The analysis of wax esters, very long mid-chain ketones and sterol ethers isolated from Walvis Bay diatomaceous ooze. Mar. Chem. 7, 117–132 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bottino, N. R.: Lipid composition of two species of antarctic krill: Euphausia superba and E. crystallorophias. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 50B, 479–484 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Christie, W. W.: Lipid analysis, 338 pp. Oxford, Pergamon Press 1973

    Google Scholar 

  • Didyk, B. M., B. R. T. Simoneit, S. C. Brassell and G. Eglinton: Organic geochemical indicators of palaeoenvironmental conditions of sedimentation. Nature, Lond. 272, 216–222 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk-Petersen, S.: Ecological investigations on the zooplankton community in Balsfjorden, northern Norway: seasonal changes in body weight and the main biochemical composition of Thysanoessa inermis (Krøyer), T. raschi (M. Sars) and Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars) in relation to environmental factors. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 49, 103–120 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk-Petersen, S., R. R. Gatten, J. R. Sargent and C. C. E. Hopkins: Ecological investigation on the zooplankton community in Balsfjorden northern Norway: seasonal changes in the lipid class composition of Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars), Thysanoessa raschi (M. Sars) and T. inermis (Krøyer). J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 54, 209–224 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk-Petersen, S. and C. C. E. Hopkins: Ecological investigations on the zooplankton community in Balsfjorden, northern Norway: population dynamics of the euphausiids Thysanoessa inermis (Krøyer), Thysanoessa raschi (M. Sars) and Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars) ion 1976 and 1977. J. Plankton Res. 3, 177–192 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk-Petersen, S., J. R. Sargent, C. C. E. Hopkins and B. Vaja: Ecological investigations on the zooplankton community of Balsfjorden, northern Norway: lipids in the euphausiids Thysanoessa raschi and T. inermis during spring. Mar. Biol. 68, 97–102 (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar, J. W.: Identification and gas-liquid chromatographic behaviour of plasmalogen aldehydes and their acetal, alcohol and acetylated alcohol derivatives. J. Lipid Res. 3, 21–30 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagiwara, S. and T. H. Bullock: Intracellular potentials in pacemaker and integrative neurones of the lobster cardiac ganglion. J. cell. comp. Physiol. 50, 25–48 (1957)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, R. J. and J. R. Sargent: Biosynthesis of neutral lipids by Euchaeta norvegica. Mar. Biol. 56, 1–6 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, R. J., J. R. Sargent and S. Falk-Petersen: Lipogenesis in the arctic euphausiid thysanoessa inermis. Mar. Biol. 63, 235–240 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jungas, R. L.: Fatty acid synthesis in adipose tissue incubated in tritiated water. Biochemistry (Am. chem. Soc.), Easton, Pa. 7, 3708–3717 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, R. F., J. Hirota and A. M. Barnett: Distribution and importance of wax esters in marine copepods and other zooplankton. Deep-Sea Res. 18, 1147–1165 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mauchline, J.: The biology of euphausiids. Adv. mar. Biol. 18, 373–623 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mauchline, J. and L. R. Fisher: The biology of euphausiids. Adv. mar. Biol. 7, 1–454 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Raymont, J. E. G., R. T. Srinivasagam and J. K. B. Raymont: Biochemical studies on marine zooplankton. IX. The biochemical compositionof Euphausia superba. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 51, 581–588 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sargent, J. R. and S. Falk-Petersen: Ecological investigations on the zooplankton community in Balsfjorden, northern Norway: lipids and fatty acids in Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Thysanoessa raschi and T. inermis duringmid-winter. Mar. Biol. 62, 131–137 (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sargent, J. R., R. F. Lee and J. C. Nevenzel: Marine wax esters. In: Chemistry and biochemistry of natural waxes, pp 50–91. Ed. by P. Kolattukudy. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1976

    Google Scholar 

  • Sargent, J. R. and K. J. Whittle: Lipids and hydrocarbons in the marine food web. In: Analysis of marine ecosystems, pp 491–533. Ed. by A. R. Longhurst. London: Academic Press 1981

    Google Scholar 

  • Volpe, J. J. and P. R. Vagelos: Mechanisms and regulations of biosynthesis of saturated fatty acids. Physiol. Rev. 56, 339–417 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Windmueller, H. G. and A. E. Spaeth: Perfusion in situ with tritium oxide to measure hepatic lipogenesis and lipid secretion. J. biol. Chem. 241, 2891–2899 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Environment Research Council, Institute of Marine Biochemistry, St. Fittick's Road, AB1 3RA, Aberdeen, Scotland

    R. J. Henderson & J. R. Sargent

  2. Institute of Fisheries, University of Tromsø, N-9000, Tromsø, Norway

    S. Falk-Petersen

Authors
  1. R. J. Henderson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Falk-Petersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. R. Sargent
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by J. Mauchline, Oban

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Henderson, R.J., Falk-Petersen, S. & Sargent, J.R. The composition and biosynthesis of lipids in Thysanoessa raschi from the Clyde Estuary, Scotland. Mar. Biol. 70, 7–12 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397290

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397290

Keywords

Search

Navigation