Protein and amino acid metabolism in fish

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The long-term goal of the proposed research program is to better characterize and understand how aquatic organisms deal with environmental challenges at the biochemical and molecular level. Animal energetics is exquisitely tuned to ensure that energy supply matches energy demand in most situations. This fine balance may be tipped by several biotic and abiotic parameters including temperature, pollution, nutrition, etc. In all cases, energy in the form of ATP is redirected to immediate life-saving functions while non-essential functions are paused until favorable conditions return. It has now become clear that protein metabolism is one such process that is extremely responsive to cellular energy balance. The short-term objectives are to i) characterize the phenotypic adjustments following diel cycling hypoxia, ii) characterize the dynamics of protein metabolism in situations where energy demand is elevated and iii) Evaluate the implication of s-adenosylmethionine in the control of protein metabolism through a newly discovered signalling pathway connecting one-carbon metabolism and protein metabolism. The proposed work is important because it focusses on the two important drivers of evolution that are the match between energy supply and demand and the provision of methyl groups. The strength of this program resides in its originality and potential to generate new important knowledge on the mechanisms controlling protein metabolism during various metabolic challenges. This knowledge will find direct applications in various fields, notably in aquaculture, nutrition and conservation physiology.