Thermal acclimation in the Atlantic cod. Molecular and cellular determinants of cardiac function

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Project objective

Research objectives and content The project will provide new data to understand the acclimation response in the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, since the molecular or cellular processes involved remain unknown. In experiment I atrial muscarinic and _adrenoreceptors will be quantified. The antagonistic action of muscarinic and _-adrenoreceptors on the heart could explain the compensated increase in heart rate. In experiment II, a perfused heart preparation will permit the evaluation of cardiac performance in a range of physiological heart rates and strokes volumes and the force frequency combination providing maximal cardiac output will be determined. Finally, in experiment III the response of the whole organism to acclimation temperature will be analyzed by measuring cardiac output, blood pressure and plasma catecholamines. The changes found in experiments I and II will be significant for the survival of the individual only if they impairs the ability of the heart to supply oxygen to the tissues. Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact) Reductionistic science needs to be complemented by taking into account the entire organism as the research individual. Here, cardiac thermal acclimation at different levels of organisation will be analysed to recognise where different adaptive processes arise. Both, the applicant and the host laboratory have experience in this research approach. Together with the outstanding research facilities, the proposed research is ambitious but feasible. In the department, intensive interchange of ideas between the trainees and their supervisors is fostered and developed by in several ways. First, the trainees attend a weekly 'physiology journal club', where papers on cardiovascular research are presented, critiqued and analysed. Second, there is a weekly departmental seminar program featuring national and international speakers. Third, the supervisor's lab is founded on the principle of extensive daily interaction with other trainees, graduate students and visiting research scientists. Training of the applicant will also be facilitated by the fruitful exchange and collaboration with other research groups from Canada. Australia, New Zealand, Italy and Austria. Links with industry / industrial relevance (22) Aside from the basic importance of understanding cardiac acclimation, there is a potential use of the results obtained in the area of Fisheries and Aquaculture. The progressive decline in the cod stocks due to overfishing in the North Atlantic has been cause of concern for all the countries involved. Good prove is the expenditure of the EU to study possible solutions. The impact of temperature on the distribution and the statu-quo of cod stocks has been clearly established and a proper understanding of the physiology of the species in the context of temperature and other fluctating environmenlal factors is also part of the success in our management of fish natural populations.

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Participants

• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki · ThessalonikiCoordinatorGreece

Links

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