Salinity-Sensitive Induction of Transport Enzymes in Euryhaline Invertebrates

生物体所处环境中的物理因素常常对生物体施加压力，使其进化出特定的生理反应（适应），以便在该环境中生存和利用。最丰富的水生环境之一是河口，营养物质浓度高，竞争物种数量少。然而，就其主要物理特征而言，河口是严酷和敌对的，即低而波动的盐度。河口物种进化出了在低盐度环境下生存的特殊机制。具体来说，它们有能力从周围的水中吸收盐（Na和C1离子）进入血液，从而使它们即使在高度变化的环境盐浓度下也能保持相当恒定的血液和组织浓度。这是通过特定的盐转运酶，Na/K atp酶和碳酸酐酶的作用来完成的。这些酶的水平在低盐度下被诱导，但诱导的过程是未知的。本研究的重点是生物体感知盐度变化并将其转导为选择性诱导转运酶的机制。

Henry 9727835 The physical factors in an organism's environment often exert pressure on the organism to evolve specific physiological responses (adaptations) in order to survive in and exploit that environment. One of the richest aquatic environments is the estuary, with high concentrations of nutrients and low numbers of competing species. However, estuaries are harsh and hostile with respect to their primary physical characteristic, low and fluctuating salinity. Estuarine species have evolved specific mechanisms for survival in low salinity. Specifically, they have the ability to take up salt (Na and C1 ions) from the ambient water into their blood, thus allowing them to maintain fairly constant blood and tissue concentrations even in the face of highly variable environmental salt concentrations. This is accomplished through the action of specific salt-transport enzymes, the Na/K ATPase and carbonic anhydrase. The levels of these enzymes are induced in low salinity, but the process of induction is unknown. The focus of this research is the mechanism by which an organism perceives a salinity change and transduces that into the selective induction of transport enzymes.