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PubMed2006

Low worldwide genetic diversity in the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus).

The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is found in temperate waters throughout the world's oceans, and has been subjected to extensive exploitation in some regions. However, little is known about its current abundance and genetic status. Here, we investigate the diversity of the mitochondrial DNA control region among samples from the western North Atlantic, eastern North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean and western Pacific. We find just six haplotypes defined by five variable sites, a comparatively low genetic diversity of pi=0.0013 and no significant differentiation between ocean basins. We provide evidence for a bottleneck event within the Holocene, estimate an effective population size (Ne) that is low for a globally distributed species, and discuss the implications.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Global phylogeography of the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini).

Large marine fishes typically have little population genetic structure. The exceptions are associated with sedentary behaviour, disjunct distributions, or reproductive philopatry. Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) incorporate the contrasting traits of oceanic habitat (usually associated with high dispersal) and possible fidelity to nursery grounds (for reproductive females). To evaluate the expectations of these contrasting behaviours, we examined the global genetic structure of S. lewini based on collections (n = 271 individuals) from 20 nursery areas. A 548-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA control region revealed 22 polymorphic sites, 24 haplotypes, and three lineages distinguished by 2.56-3.77% sequence divergence. Coalescence analyses based on a provisional molecular clock indicate an origin in the Indo-West Pacific with late Pleistocene radiations into the central Pacific (Hawaii) and eastern Pacific (Central America), as well as recent interchange between oceans via southern Africa. Population subdivisions are strong (overall Phi(ST) = 0.749, P < 0.0001 and among oceans Phi(ST) = 0.598, P < 0.0098). Genetic discontinuity within oceans (Phi(ST) = 0.519, P < 0.0001) is primarily associated with oceanic barriers (migration across oceans M approximately 0), with much less structure along continental margins (M > 10). We conclude that nursery populations linked by continuous coastline have high connectivity, but that oceanic dispersal by females is rare. Although we cannot rule out philopatry to natal nurseries, oceanic barriers appear to have a much stronger influence on the genetic architecture of this species and may indicate a mechanism for recent evolutionary radiations in the genus Sphyrna.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Structural analysis of unsaturated hexasaccharides isolated from shark cartilage chondroitin sulfate D that are substrates for the exolytic action of chondroitin ABC lyase.

The enzymatic action of highly purified chondroitin ABC lyase from Proteus vulgaris is dependent on the size of the substrate, and the enzyme does not cleave tetrasaccharides, irrespective of their sulfation profiles [Sugahara, K., Shigeno, K., Masuda, M., Fujii, N., Kurosaka, A. & Takeda, K. (1994) Carbohydr. Res. 255, 145-163]. To characterize the enzyme action in more detail, we isolated nine sulfated hexasaccharides from commercial shark cartilage chondroitin sulfate D, after partial digestion with highly purified chondroitin ABC lyase, by means of gel chromatography and HPLC on an amine-bound silica column. Structural analysis by 500-MHz H-NMR spectroscopy, and enzymatic digestion in conjunction with HPLC, demonstrated that these hexasaccharides, with the common core saccharide structure delta 4 HexA (alpha 1-3)GalNAc(beta 1-4)GlcA(beta 1-3)GalNAc(beta 1-4) GlcA(beta 1-3)GalNAc(where delta 4 HexA and GlcA represent 4-deoxy-alpha-L-threo-hex-4-enepyranosyluronic acid and glucuronic acid, respectively) bear three or four sulfate groups in different combinations. In the hexasaccharides, the D, disaccharide unit GlcA2-SO3 (beta 1-3) GalNAc4SO(3-) which is characteristic of chondroitin sulfate D, was arranged on the reducing side of the A disaccharide unit GlcA(beta 1-3)GalNAc4SO(3)-, and thus formed an A-D tetrasaccharide sequence GlcA(beta 1-3)GalNAc4SO(3)-(beta 1-4)GlcA2SO(3)-(beta 1-3) GalNAc6SO(3)-. Analysis of the degradation products of these hexasaccharides with highly purified chondroitin ABC lyase indicated that the enzyme preferentially acted on the unsaturated hexasaccharides in an exolytic fashion and removed an unsaturated disaccharide unit from the non-reducing termini, irrespective of the sulfation profiles of the hexasaccharides.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

A hydroxyproline-containing protein from shark brain that is related to myelin basic protein.

Myelin basic protein (MBP) from shark (Chondricthyes) consists of a simpler mixture of charge isomers than human MBP. About two-thirds of the total amount applied to a CM-52 cellulose cation-exchange column was recovered in the unbound fraction of the column; the remaining one-third bound to column and was eluted as a single OD280 peak. This bound material did not sow the usual pattern of charge microheterogeneity found with human or bovine MBP. The unbound fraction was composed of a high molecular weight protein (55-60 kDa), which constituted most of this protein fraction and a low molecular weight protein (approximately 18 kDa). The amino acid composition of our unbound fraction was similar to that reported earlier. The Glx (glutamic acid + glutamine) was increased about threefold whereas the Arg content was only about 25% of that of the 18.5 kDa variant of bovine or human origin. The presence of hydroxyproline (1.2 residues/100) in this protein was noteworthy, identification of which was achieved by amino acid analysis in two different systems and by mass spectrometry. In the precolumn derivatization method, hydroxyproline eluted at 2.7 min; in the postcolumn derivatization method it eluted at 12.2 min. Identification of hydroxyproline was completed by fast atom bombardment-mass spectral analysis. The effect of hydroxyproline on the secondary structure of this protein is being studied. Verification that this high molecular weight protein contained MBP sequences within its primary structure was confirmed by immunological methods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developmental origin of shark electrosensory organs.

Vertebrates have evolved electrosensory receptors that detect electrical stimuli on the surface of the skin and transmit them somatotopically to the brain. In chondrichthyans, the electrosensory system is composed of a cephalic network of ampullary organs, known as the ampullae of Lorenzini, that can detect extremely weak electric fields during hunting and navigation. Each ampullary organ consists of a gel-filled epidermal pit containing sensory hair cells, and synaptic connections with primary afferent neurons at the base of the pit that facilitate detection of voltage gradients over large regions of the body. The developmental origin of electroreceptors and the mechanisms that determine their spatial arrangement in the vertebrate head are not well understood. We have analyzed electroreceptor development in the lesser spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) and show that Sox8 and HNK1, two markers of the neural crest lineage, selectively mark sensory cells in ampullary organs. This represents the first evidence that the neural crest gives rise to electrosensory cells. We also show that pathfinding by cephalic mechanosensory and electrosensory axons follows the expression pattern of EphA4, a well-known guidance cue for axons and neural crest cells in osteichthyans. Expression of EphrinB2, which encodes a ligand for EphA4, marks the positions at which ampullary placodes are initiated in the epidermis, and EphA4 is expressed in surrounding mesenchyme. These results suggest that Eph-Ephrin signaling may establish an early molecular map for neural crest migration, axon guidance and placodal morphogenesis during development of the shark electrosensory system.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Negative feedback control of the spermatogenic progression by testicular oestrogen synthesis: insights from the shark testis model.

The organisation of the testis of the dogfish shark is technically advantageous for stage-by-stage analysis of spermatogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Prior studies using this model show that total oestrogen receptors (ER) are concentrated in regions where spermatocysts ("follicle-like" germ cell-Sertoli cell units) are in stem cell and spermatogonial stages: respectively, germinal zone (GZ) and premeiotic (PrM) regions. By contrast, key enzymes regulating oestrogen (E) concentrations (aromatase, 17 alpha-hydroxylase) are maximal in meiotic (M) and postmeiotic (PoM) regions, respectively, which are upstream in the intratesticular vascular pathway. To investigate the hypothesis that E is part of a signalling mechanism between stages of development, studies were undertaken to test direct effects of oestradiol-17 beta (E2) on processes in ER-rich regions. As measured by [3H]thymidine (-Tdr) incorporation. DNA synthesis in GZ and PrM regions was inhibited by E2 (0-1000 nM) in a dose-response fashion. The maximal response (30-40%) was significant, reproducible and observed within 72 hr of treatment. Insulin differentially affected DNA synthesis and the response to E2 in GZ in GZ and PrM regions. As measured by [3H]Tdr release after prelabelling spermatocysts of GZ regions, apoptosis progressively decreased with increasing concentrations of E2. At the maximal dose of E2 used, there was no effect on total protein synthesis or secretion in combined GZ/PrM cysts, indicating that effects on DNA synthesis and cell death were authentically physiological, not pharmacological, and consistent with a state of developmental arrest. These results support the hypothesis that E synthesised within the testis is part of a negative feedback regulatory mechanism whereby more mature stages regulate the developmental advance of less mature stages. A growth control mechanism of this type could explain the strict temporal, spatial and quantitative order of succeeding stages characteristic of normal spermatogenesis in all vertebrates. Further study is required to determine whether E signalling in this model is restricted to Sertoli cells or has a germ cell component.

Animals↗
PubMed1959

Instrumental conditioning of lemon sharks.

Two sharks were trained to feed at a target which, when pressed, caused a submerged bell to ring. Later they were trained to press the target for remotely placed food. They retained this conditioned response after a 10-week period of inactivity.

Animals↗
PubMed1961

Provisional audiogram for the shark, Carcharhinus leucas.

In an operant-conditioning study, a bull shark responded to signals at frequencies between 100 and 1500 cy/sec. In its band of greatest sensitivity (400 to 600 cy/sec), it discriminated, from high-level ambient noise, signals of amplitudes which the apparatus could not measure.

Animals↗
PubMed1962

Calcium and other ions in blood and skeleton of Nicaraguan fresh-water shark.

The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, employing archaic but effective means of regulating the physical-chemical composition of its body fluids, thrives in tropical fresh-water rivers and lakes. The ionic strength of the serum and the concentrations of total solutes, calcium, urea, and other ions are below the levels found in marine elasmobranchs but higher than the levels in teleosts. The patterns of the calcium deposits of the vertebrae are identical in marine and fresh-water subspecies.

Animals↗
PubMed1966

Noncollagenous nature of the proteins of shark enamel.

The proteins, soluble and insoluble at neutral pH, of relatively mature enamel of two different species of sharks were distinctly different from both collagen and embryonic enamel proteins and similar to the proteins isolated from mature human and bovine enamel.

Aging↗
PubMed1968

Cupulae in shark neuromasts: composition, origin, generation.

Cupulae on the surface of the sensory epithelium of canal neuromasts of the shark lateralis system have been demonstrated. They are mounds of mucoid material secreted primarily by the supporting cells of the neuromast epithelium. Individual columns of mucus in fixed, stained sections produce striations perpendicular to the neuromast surface. The hair of the sensory cell is embedded in mucus at the bases of coalescing columns produced by a group of surrounding supporting cells. There is evidence that mucus production is continuous and is accompanied by regeneration of secretory cells and elimination of necrotic cells at the distal surface. It follows that cupular material is being discarded either intermittantly or continually, along with trapped cell debris and other detritus.

Animals↗
PubMed1969

Adrenergic blood pressure responses in the shark.

Both nurse and lemon sharks recovered slowly from the pressor effect of epinephrine and from the depressor effect of isoproterenol. The recovery time increased with the dose of epinephrine. Grading of dosage and the use of dibenzyline revealed that these species exhibit alpha and beta adrenergic vascular responses in a manner qualitatively similar but quantitatively dissimilar to that for mammals.

Animals↗
PubMed1969

Shark pit organs: enhancement of mechanosensitivity by potassium ions.

The mandibular pit organs of pelagic sharks, which respond sensitively to monovalent cations, often show neural discharges synchronized with respiratory gill movement. The mechanosensitivity of the organs is remarkably enhanced by application of potassium ions on the same end organ, respiratory movement remaining constant. In view of their michanosensitivity to an incr-ease of potassium ions in the cell environment, as well as their chemosensitivity,the pit organs of sarks, rather than the canal organs which have no chemosensitivity, may be designated as a better model of the inner ear of higher animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1971

Connections of the nurse shark's telencephalon.

The extrinsic connections of the telencephalon of the nurse shark are very largely crossed and in this respect differ from those identified in all other vertebrate species so far examined. Studies with Nauta and Fink-Heimer methods have revealed telencephalic projections to the contralateral thalamus and optic tectum as well as to ipsilateral brainstem and rostral spinal cord.

Animals↗
PubMed1973

Visual discrimination in sharks without optic tectum.

After complete removal of the optic tectum, nurse sharks can learn to discriminate black versus white and horizontal versus vertical stripes. This finding is contrary to the traditional belief of exclusive tectal control over visuomotor behavior in lower vertebrates and suggests a role for the telencephalon in the vision of these primitive animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1973

Electrophysiological identification of a visual area in shark telencephalon.

Optic nerve stimulation in the shark evokes short-latency telencephalic field potentials localized to the ipsilateral, posterior central nucleus. Such a well-defined visual area in elasmobranch telencephalon further challenges classical formulations of forebrain evolution. Moreover, its ipsilateral representation confirms recent evidence for a crossed thalamotelencephalic visual projection.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Purification and properties of a carboxylesterase from the liver of tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier).

A procedure is described for the purification of a carboxylesterase from shark liver, using a chloroform-acetone powder prepared from the liver as the starting material. The yield of purified enzyme is approximately 50 mg from 530 g of chloroform-acetone powder. The preparation is electrophoretically homogeneous. Active-site titrations with paraoxon gave an equivalent weight of approximately 83 000. The molecular weight, found from sedimentation equilibrium experiments, is approximately 80 000. There is no evidence of any association or dissociation of this species. The enzyme shows a marked preference for aryl esters over alkyl esters, in contrast to other carboxylesterases so far studied. The amino acid composition of the purified enzyme is reported.

Amino Acids↗