Isolation and characterization of antifreeze proteins from smelt (Osmerus mordax) and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus)

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 1652-1658 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Vanya Ewart ◽  
Garth L. Fletcher

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) from smelt (Osmerus mordax) and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus) were isolated using gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography. The AFPs of smelt appeared to consist of at least six components and those of Atlantic herring, of at least two components. The relative molecular masses of these antifreezes were 24 000 and 14 600, respectively. Amino acid analysis showed both proteins to be cystine-rich, type II AFPs like those of the sea raven (Hemitripterus americanus). In addition, smelt AFPs were found to be immunologically similar to those of the sea raven. The smelt AFPs differed from those of Atlantic herring and sea raven in that they contained a small amount of glucosamine (~3%). The activity levels of the smelt and herring AFPs were reduced in the presence of dithiothreitol, indicating the functional importance of intact disulfide bonds.

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2396-2401 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Winters

Recoveries of tagged Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus) released with abdominally inserted magnetic tags indicated a rapid and random dispersion of tagged fish within the total population of herring along southwest Newfoundland. Recoveries further indicated a general westward movement of herring along southwestern Newfoundland from January to March, also reflected in the spatial distribution of commercial catches during this period. Metabolic rates of these overwintering herring, estimated from changes in body energy from December to March, were more than double the standard level, suggesting a high degree of activity, possibly due to avoidance behavior in relation to predatory actions by cod overwintering in the same area. Key words: tagging, movements, predation, metabolic levels


1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garth L. Fletcher ◽  
Choy L. Hew ◽  
Shashikant B. Joshi

The antifreeze proteins were isolated from frostfish (Microgadus tomcod) using gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography. The antifreeze proteins were glycoproteins which appeared to consist of at least six components with molecular weights ranging from 2 550 to 32 200. Chemical analysis of the larger components showed a predominance of alanine, threonine, and galactosamine. The smaller peptides contained proline and arginine in addition to alanine and threonine. The amino acid sequence of the smallest glycopeptides (molecular weight 2 550) was found to be Ala-Ala-Thr-Ala-Ala-Thr-[Formula: see text]-Ala-Thr-Ala-Ala-Thr-Pro-Ala-[Formula: see text]-Ala-Ala.These glycopeptides are very similar in amino acid and carbohydrate composition to those isolated from the Antarctic nototheniids and several northern gadoids. The sequence of the first 14 amino acids of smaller glycopeptides from the frostfish is identical to comparable peptides found in the nototheniids and the saffron cod. To date arginine has only been observed in the glycopeptide antifreezes of the frostfish and the saffron cod.


1985 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 989-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Winters ◽  
J. P. Wheeler

The relationship between commercial catch-rates and population density upon which many stock assessment models depend assumes that stock area (A) is constant and independent of population abundance. Starting from a theoretical demonstration that the catchability coefficient (q) is inversely proportional to A, we establish the empirical basis of this relationship through comparisons of q and A of various Northwest Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus) stocks and, in more detail, for Fortune Bay herring. For these stocks the relationship was of the form q = cA−b. For Atlantic herring stocks, levels of b were in excess of 0.80. In Fortune Bay herring, reductions in abundance were accompanied by proportional reductions in A, which in turn was inversely correlated with changes in q. School size, measured as catch per set, also declined as population levels declined but the change was not proportional. Published findings indicate that pelagic stocks in particular, and fish stocks in general, exhibit a common response of reductions in A with interactive increases in the q during periods of rapid population decline. We conclude that the conventional assumption of a constant stock area is usually violated due to the systematic interaction between A and population abundance which is reflected in an inverse relationship between stock abundance and q. Calibration of sequential population models should therefore be restricted to research vessel data collected in a standard manner and covering the distributional area of the stock.


1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. Reno ◽  
Marie Philippon-Fried ◽  
Bruce L. Nicholson ◽  
Stuart W. Sherburne

Erythrocytes of PEN-positive Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus) were examined to determine their ultrastructure. Cytoplasmic inclusions were of two types when observed under the electron microscope. The first type (type I) appeared coarsely granular, electron dense, round, and up to 1.5 μm in diameter. Virions were closely associated with this type of inclusion. The second type of inclusion (type II) had approximately the same appearance as the surrounding cytoplasm, from which it was separated by a discrete membrane, and was variable in size. Virions were not intimately associated with type II inclusions. Virions occurred singly or in clusters within the cytoplasm or in association with type I inclusions and were hexagonal and 145 nm in diameter. Virions were composed of a rigid hexagonal capsid 8 nm wide, a lighter 16-nm region, and a core 100 nm in diameter. The virus of PEN is presumptively classified as an Iridovirus. Key words: ultrastructure, erythrocytes, virology


1990 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 460-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Winters ◽  
J. P. Wheeler

Length-specific selection curves for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) were calculated for a series of gillnets ranging in mesh size from 50.8 to 76.2 mm (stretched measure) using Holt's (1963) model (ICNAF Spec. Publ. 5: 106–115). These curves were than compared with direct estimates of length-specific selectivity obtained from a comparison of gillnet catch length frequencies with population length composition data as determined from acoustic surveys. Selection curves calculated indirectly using the Holt model were unimodal and congruent. The empirical selection curves however were multimodal and fishing power varied with mesh size. These differences in selectivities were due to the fact that herring were caught not only by wedging at the maximum girth but also at other body positions such as the gills and snout. Each of these modes of capture have different length-specific selectivity characteristics and, since the relative contributions of the different modes of capture varied both between nets and annually, the selection curve of herring for a particular mesh size is not unique. It can however be reasonably approximated when girth is used as the selection criterion. Direct empirical selectivities are therefore recommended when interpreting population parameters from herring gillnet catch data.


1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 1379-1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon E. McGladdery

Prevalence of Eimeria sardinae oocysts was closely correlated with the maturity stage of the testes of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus). Prevalence was low in testes of immature fish, increased in ripe and spawning fish, and decreased in postspawning fish. No correlation was found between prevalence and age of spawning herring. The uniformly high prevalences in mature fish indicated the efficiency of transmission on the spawning grounds, where infective oocysts are released. Infection of first-spawning herring (approximately age 3) indicated that the oocysts may be dispersed to surrounding areas or immature fish may associate with spawning aggregations. Therefore, this parasite could not be used to distinguish first from repeat spawners. Prevalence oF E. sardinae peaked in May and September, and possibly in June and early July, thereby distinguishing two, and possibly three, spawning groups. A previous study indicated no correlation between maturity stage and infections by E. sardinae in northeastern Atlantic herring. The difference between the two sides of the Atlantic is attributed to greater mixing of immature and adult herring around spawning grounds and/or greater dispersal of infective oocysts from spawning grounds in the northeastern Atlantic, compared with those in the northwest.


1975 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. N. Messieh

Analysis of maturity stages of herring samples taken from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence shows two maturation cycles for spring and autumn spawning herring. The spring population has a spawning peak in May and the summer–autumn population extends spawning from July through September. Spawning grounds of spring and autumn herring populations and their nursery areas are mapped.


1984 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 1055-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sinclair ◽  
M. J. Tremblay

Each population of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus) has its own seasonally fixed spawning period of a few weeks duration, but the mean spawning times of different populations differ substantially. The extant theory explains the population-specific timing of spawning relative to the plankton production blooms in the inferred larval distributional area. Support of this theory is evaluated, and found lacking, in the light of a recent "stock" hypothesis involving larval retention. The new hypothesis involves two constraints. First, the larvae of a discrete herring population develop within, and are thus adapted to, the specific oceanographic conditions of their larval retention area. Second, metamorphosis from the larval to juvenile form occurs primarily within a restricted period of the year (April to October). Given these two constraints, it is hypothesized that the timing of spawning of a herring population is a function of the time necessary to complete the larval phase and yet metamorphose within the acceptable seasonal envelope. Populations that have "good" larval retention areas can spawn in the spring and still metamorphose within the seasonal envelope. Populations with larval retention areas that are less "good" for larval growth have to spawn earlier to satisfy the two constraints. The implications of the hypothesis on the "match–mismatch" theory are briefly discussed.


1982 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1164-1174 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Courtois ◽  
M. Simoneau ◽  
J. J. Dodson

The study of the spatial and temporal organization of the planktonic community of the middle estuary of the Saint Lawrence River revealed that fish larvae were distributed in such a way as to minimize interactions between species. Smelt (Osmerus mordax) larvae were distributed upstream whereas capelin (Mallotus villosus) and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus) larvae were found downstream in June 1979. Capelin larvae were more abundant at the surface (0–20 m) whereas herring larvae were concentrated in deeper waters (20–60 m). The ecological separation observed was maintained by multiple physical factors and appeared to be the consequence of species-specific reproductive strategies. The abundance of chaetognaths, euphausiids, and amphipods in deeper waters suggests that these forms could be important predators of fish larvae. Herring larvae may be particularly vulnerable because of their distribution in deep water. Capelin larvae which are very abundant in June could also be vulnerable to predation during the diurnal migrations of the macroplankton. Smelt larvae appear to be little affected by predation from these forms as a result of their distribution in fresher waters.


Blood ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 510-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
IL Olsson ◽  
MG Sarngadharan ◽  
TR Breitman ◽  
RC Gallo

Abstract Mitogen-stimulated mononuclear blood cells produce differentiation inducing factors (DIFs) for the promyelocytic cell line HL-60. We report that DIF is produced constitutively by a malignant T lymphocyte line HUT-102. DIF was purified 7,000-fold from HUT-102 conditioned media by utilizing ion-exchange chromatography with DEAE-Sepharose, gel chromatography, Blue-Sepharose chromatography, and preparative SDS- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The final preparation is susceptible to protease treatment, has a molecular weight of 46,000, as determined by SDS-PAGE and approximately 55,000 by gel filtration, has an isoelectric point of approximately 5.2, does not adhere to lectin- Sepharose and is resistant to periodate oxidation, and is free of colony-stimulating factor. DIF induced maturation of HL-60 into phagocytizing nitro blue tetrazolium reducing cells with the morphological characteristics of myelomonocytic or monocyte-like cells. An activity, co-chromatographing with DIF, acts synergistically with retinoic acid to induce maturation not only of HL-60, but also of the monoblast-like cell line U-937 (measured as percentage of cells reducing NBT).


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