The effects of salinity and irradiation on the intracellular free amino acid pool of the grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Margaret Goodman Shelton (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
David Engel

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that both salinity and low levels of gamma-irradiation effected the osmoreregulatory ability of the estuarine grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio. Groups of grass shrimp were acclimated at three salinity levels and subjected to levels of Co-60 gamma irradiation from 200 to 1800 rads. Changes in the intracellular free amino acid pool were investigated over a period of time after the initial irradiation exposure. The concentrations of ninhydrin positive substances were shown to vary directly with ambient salinity in P. pugio. Non-essential amino acids, glycine, proline and alanine, contributed noticably to the change in the intracellular free amino acid pool. Taurine, a sulfonated arnine, is also present in muscle tissue in significant quantities but not directly related to ambient salinity. The effects of radiation exposure on the intracellular free amino acid pool were both time and salinity dependent. This was seen most noticeably in arginine. Although salinity was the overriding effector of changer, in intracellular free amino acids, radiation also effects the amounts of free amino acids In the period of time following the initial exposure to irradiation.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 1976
Subjects
Shrimps $x Effect of habitat modification on
Irradiated shrimp

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