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Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology

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Mercenaria

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Uptake Of Dissolved Free Amino Acids By Northern Quahogs, Mercenaria Mercenaria, And Its Relative Importance To Organic Nitrogen Deposition In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Michael A. Rice Dec 1998

Uptake Of Dissolved Free Amino Acids By Northern Quahogs, Mercenaria Mercenaria, And Its Relative Importance To Organic Nitrogen Deposition In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

Studies were undertaken to determine the relationship between size of northern quahogs Mercenaria mercenaria and the rate at which they transport aspartic acid. Quahogs ranging from 25 to 103 mm valve length were collected in Narragansett Bay and placed in seawater aquaria (27 ppt, 20 deg C) and allowed to pump actively. Uptake experiments were carried out using 1 umol/L C(14) radiolabeled aspartic acid. Aspartate transport rates in umol/h can be related to valve length by the allometric equation with a = 24.32 and b = 0.905 when valve length is in mm. In May 1990, near bottom samples of …


Influx, Net Flux And Transepithelial Flux Of Amino Acids In The Hardshell Clam Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linne): Influence Of Salinity, Michael Rice, Grover Stephens Dec 1987

Influx, Net Flux And Transepithelial Flux Of Amino Acids In The Hardshell Clam Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linne): Influence Of Salinity, Michael Rice, Grover Stephens

Michael A Rice

1.1. The effects of salinity on the uptake and internal distribution of alanine and other free amino acids (FAA) in hardsell clams, Mercenaria, was studied by radiochemical and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques.2.2. Exposure of animals to reduced salinity does not alter the rate of unidirectional alanine influx.3.3. In 34%o salinity, entry of labeled alanine reflects the net flux of the amino acid. However, in 17%o salinity, there is a net loss of alanine and other acids, mainly taurine, to the medium.4.4. Reduced salinity induces greater incorporation of radiolabeled FAA into macromolecular fractions throughout the animal.5.5. The major factors …