Title: Nucleotide composition and energy charge in growing and starving zoea I of Carcinus maenas (Decapoda: portunidae)
Abstract: Abstract 1. 1. The growth (dry weight, W), protein, lipid content and nucleotide composition (ATP, ADP, AMP, UTP and GTP) were estimated at 16°C at daily intervals for growing and starving zoea I of Carcinus maenas. 2. 2. Larvae fed with Artemia sp. during the entire development moulted at the 6th day to the next larval instar; the same developmental duration was found when larvae were starved after reaching the “D0 threshold” (“D0 starved”); no development to the next zoea was found when larvae were starved before this “D0 treshold”. 3. 3. The growth (W) and content in protein and lipids was strongly inluenced by the starvation periods. 4. 4. The amounts of nucleotides per individual were influenced by the moulting cycle and the nutritional status of the larvae: they increased in the Artemia-fed control until stage D0 and remained stable for the rest of the moulting cycle. Similar amounts were found in the Artemia-fed control group and “D0-starved” larvae; nucleotides decreased with the beginning of starvation in larvae starved with beginning of stage C of the moulting cycle (“C-starved”). In the starved control quantity of nucleotides increased only slightly during the first days before decreasing later. 5. 4. Similar patterns of nucleotide compositions were found in dry weight and protein related concentrations. 6. 5. The similarity in the nucleotide composition is reflected in the energy charge patterns, which were similar for all tested groups, showing that larvae can regulate their energetic pool as long as they can metabolize reserve substances such as protein and lipid; the individual nucleotide content decreased after using up these reserves.
Publication Year: 1990
Publication Date: 1990-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 12
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