RUI: Sulfide Tolerance and Detoxification in Urechis Caupo

caupourechis是一种蠕虫状的动物，在加利福尼亚北部的三个泥滩环境中密集分布，这些环境经常显示出高水平的有毒硫化氢和低水平的氧气。拟议研究的目的是描述这些动物的环境特征，并利用这些信息设计实验室实验，调查这些动物适应的生化基础，使这些动物能够在看似不适宜的栖息地繁衍生息。将在动物的环境中测量硫化物和氧的水平，并在实验室中确定对高硫化物和低氧的耐受性。硫化物进入动物体内的可能途径将通过检查皮肤和呼吸器官对硫化物的渗透性来探索。内部硫化物的化学命运将被跟踪，表征，并确定硫化物解毒的最终最终产物。这样，有毒硫化物从作为一种有毒化合物进入动物体内到作为一种良性废物排出体外的过程就会被遵循。这种动物采用的生理机制在阐明适应策略方面具有潜在的重要意义，这些策略使大量无脊椎动物能够在硫化物含量高的环境中茁壮成长。此外，本研究涉及血红蛋白的一种新的解毒功能，血红蛋白是一种被充分研究过的至关重要的转运蛋白。

Urechis caupo, a worm-like animal, occurs in dense populations in three northern Californian mudflat environments which often show high levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide and low levels of oxygen. The intent of the proposed research is to characterize the environment of these animals and to use this information to design laboratory experiments investigating the biochemical basis for the adaptations that allow these animals to flourish in a seemingly inhospitable habitat. Sulfide and oxygen levels will be measured in the animal's environment and tolerance to high sulfide and low oxygen will be determined in the laboratory. Possible avenues of sulfide entry into the animal's body will be explored by examining skin and respiratory organ permeability to sulfide. The chemical fate of internal sulfide will be followed, characterized, and the ultimate endproduct of sulfide detoxification determined. In this way the path of toxic sulfide will be followed from entry into the animal as a poisonous compound to removal as a benign wasteproduct. The physiological mechanisms employed by this animal are potentially important in the elucidation of the adaptive strategies that allow large populations of invertebrates to flourish in sulfide-laden environments. Additionally, this research involves a new detoxification function for hemoglobin, a well studied and critically important transport protein.