Do Gill from Symbiont-free Mussels Gain Sufficient Cellular Energy from Sulfide Oxidation to Support Cellular Work?

海洋沉积物中自然产生的硫化氢对大多数生物都是有毒的。然而，一些来自富含硫化物环境的动物通过细胞水平的硫化物解毒反应避免了这种中毒，这些氧化反应可能是一种潜在的有用的能量来源。该项目的目标是确定硫化物居民是否从硫化物氧化中获得足够的细胞能量来支持细胞工作。实验组织选择来自两种海洋贻贝的纤毛鳃，一种来自富含硫化物的环境，另一种来自无硫化物的环境。鳃是辛勤工作的组织，是滤食性动物与其环境之间的主要接口。在硫化物存在和不存在的情况下，我们将测量细胞能量代谢的几个参数，包括线粒体的能量产生和鳃纤毛的能量消耗。这项研究将开始解决有关协调细胞能量消耗与能量生产的调节机制的基本问题；允许在自然压力环境中生存的分子和细胞机制；海洋无脊椎动物对硫化物栖息地的入侵可能导致了无脊椎动物宿主和硫化物氧化细菌之间的共生关系的最终发展。它将解决有关硫化物系统对河口总生产力的贡献的问题。

Hydrogen sulfide, which is naturally produced in marine sediments, is poison to most living organisms. However, some animals from sulfide-rich environments avoid this poisoning with sulfide detoxification reactions at the cellular level, and these oxidation reactions may be a potentially useful source of energy. The goal of this project is to determine if sulfide inhabitants gain sufficient cellular energy from sulfide oxidation to support cellular work. The experimental tissue choice will be ciliated gills from two species of marine mussels, one from sulfide-rich environments and one from sulfide-free environments. Gills are hard-working tissues that act as the primary interface between filter-feeding animals and their environment. In the presence and absence of sulfide, we will measure several parameters of cellular energy metabolism, including energy production by the mitochondria and energy consumption by the gill cilia. This research will begin to address basic questions concerning the regulatory mechanisms that coordinate cellular energy consumption with energy production; the molecular and cellular mechanisms that allow survival in natural stressful habitats; and the invasion of the sulfide habitat by marine invertebrates that may have led to the eventual development of the symbiosis between invertebrate hosts and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. It will address questions concerning the contribution of sulfide systems to the total productivity of estuaries.