INBRE-2 CHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF THE PISCIVORE GUT

这个子项目是许多利用资源的研究子项目之一 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目的主要支持 而子项目的主要调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括其它NIH来源。 列出的子项目总成本可能 代表子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 而不是由NCRR赠款提供给子项目或子项目工作人员的直接资金。 来自科罗拉多州立大学（分子寄生虫学）的野生动物毒理学实验室（PI托德·奥哈拉）和Lora Ballweber博士（合作者）提出了一个研究课题，即在特定食肉动物（食鱼动物）肠道中汞分布、动态和生物转化的胃肠道“生态学”领域，以确定生物利用度和潜在毒性的相关性。我们将首先集中在大型寄生虫，我们将确定“化学饲料生态”使用C和N稳定同位素和总汞和甲基汞（甲基汞）的浓度和比例。然后，我们评估的车厢与肠道，以确定是否汞分配到特定的车厢（包括大型寄生虫）。我们将确定寄生虫的“营养水平”，并确定这是否与THg和/或MeHg相关，并将寄生虫内的汞浓度与周围肠道内容物和其他组织（肠壁、肝脏、血液等）的汞浓度进行比较。我们的第一个问题是，大型寄生虫的“营养级”、形态特征、在胃肠道中的位置、硒浓度和属/种是否与整个寄生虫体汞浓度（总汞和甲基汞）（湿重和干重）相关？第二个问题是：胃肠道内容物中的汞浓度（总汞和甲基汞的湿重和干重）是否因胃肠道中的位置和/或分数而异，并与大型寄生虫（例如，大型寄生虫是否对汞进行生物放大和/或生物转化）？

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. The Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory (PI Todd O'Hara) and Dr. Lora Ballweber (collaborator) from Colorado State University (molecular parasitolgy) propose a research topic in the area of gastrointestinal "ecology" of Hg distribution, dynamics and biotransformation in the intestine of select carnivores (piscivores) to determine relevance in bioavailability and potential toxicity. We will initially focus on macroparasites for which we will determine the "chemical feeding ecology" using C and N stable isotopes and the concentrations and proportions of total Hg and methyl mercury (MeHg). We then assess the compartments with the gut to determine if Hg is partitioning to specific compartments (including macroparasites). We will determine the "trophic level" of the parasite and determine if this correlates with THg and/or MeHg and compare the Hg concentrations within the parasite to the surrounding gut contents and that of other tissues (gut wall, liver, blood, etc.). Our first question asks; Does the "trophic level", morphometrics, location in the gastrointestinal tract, Se concentration, and genera/species of the macroparasite associate with whole parasite body Hg concentration as total Hg and MeHg as wet weight and dry weight? The second question is: Does the Hg concentration (total Hg and MeHg as wet weight and dry weight) of the gastrointestinal contents vary by location and/or fraction in the gastrointestinal tract and vary from that of the macroparasites (e.g., do the macroparasites biomagnify the Hg and/or biotransform it)?