Identification of fresh and seawater specific molecular markers in teleosts

通过特殊的“富含线粒体细胞(MRC)”，真盐鱼类可以在淡水和海水中生存。尽管MRCs被认为与淡水中的离子吸收和海水中的离子分泌有关，但其离子吸收机制30多年来一直存在争议。在本研究中，我们在罗非鱼中发现了一种新的淡水型离子转运体，并提出了一种新的离子摄取模型。我们还发现，离子吸收机制在不同的鱼类物种中有所不同。这些发现为鱼类渗透调节和离子调节的研究打开了新的窗口。

Euryhaline fish can live in both fresh water and seawater by means of specialized "mitochondrion-rich cells (MRCs)". Although MRCs are considered to be involved in both ion uptake in fresh water and ion secretion in seawater, the ion-uptake mechanism has been controversial for over 30 years. In this study, we identified a novel freshwater-type ion transporter in tilapia MRCs and proposed a new ion uptake model. We also found that ion uptake mechanisms vary among fish species. These findings are opening a new window for the study on fish osmo- and iono-regulation.