Cellular and mitochondrial respiration system

细胞能量学是任何生物功能的核心。直接测量细胞或线粒体的耗氧率在研究环境影响和动物能量学的进化调节中是必不可少的。这项提案要求获得资金，以获得细胞和线粒体呼吸测量系统，使申请者的研究小组能够研究细胞能量学的各个方面。细胞能量学的变化在暴露于环境应激源时是立即的，当能够补偿和适应环境条件时是短期的和可逆的，当进化作用于改变能量学的生理特征时是永久性的。申请者的研究项目调查了不同生物体在不同时间尺度上能量学的调整。利用鱼类物种，将调查环境中存在的毒物对细胞能量学的影响。拟议的呼吸测量系统将允许通过监测氧气消耗来研究肝细胞对污染物的反应，但也将允许通过使用额外的探头来研究更具体的机制。同样使用FISH，将研究对各种环境挑战(温度和低氧)的临时适应，因为在这种情况下，细胞可以重塑自己的新陈代谢(改变基因表达)以维持这些条件。利用蜜蜂和黄蜂，将研究细胞能量学中的进化调节。为了完成飞行，这些昆虫进化出了肌肉细胞，其能量产生率在动物中是最高的。使用建议的呼吸测量设备，将有可能研究不同飞行能量需求的多种物种的飞行肌肉细胞的氧气消耗模式。还将研究这些物种线粒体使用的燃料等特定机制，以深入了解细胞能量学如何在进化时间尺度上进行调整。

Cellular energetics is central to any biological function. Direct measurements of oxygen consumption rate of cells or mitochondria, the sub-compartment actually using oxygen to produce energy, is essential in studies investigating environmental effects and evolutionary adjustments of animal energetics. This proposal requests funds to acquire a cellular and mitochondrial respirometry system that will enable the applicants' research groups to investigate various aspects of cellular energetics. Alteration in cellular energetics can be immediate when exposed to environmental stressors, short-term and reversible when able to compensate and acclimatize to environmental conditions and permanent when evolution acts on physiological characters that modify energetics. The applicants' research programs investigate adjustments in energetics at these diverse time-scales in various organisms. Using fish species, the impact of toxicants present in the environment on cellular energetics will be investigated. The proposed respirometry system will allow for study of liver cell response to pollutants by monitoring oxygen consumption, but will also allow for investigation of more specific mechanisms by using additional probes. Also using fish, the temporary adjustment to various environmental challenges (temperature and low oxygen) will be studied as in such situations cells can remodel their metabolism (change gene expression) to sustain these conditions. Using bees and wasps, the evolutionary adjustments in cell energetics will be studied. To accomplish flight these insects evolved muscle cells with the highest energy production rate found in animals. Using the proposed respirometry equipment, it will be possible to study the oxygen consumption patterns in flight muscle cells of multiple species with varying energy requirements for flight. Specific mechanisms such as the fuels used by the mitochondria of these species will also be studied to gain insights into how cell energetics can be adjusted at the evolutionary time-scale.