AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 248, Issue 6 702-R708, Copyright © 1985 by American Physiological Society
Isolation and functional characterization of crustacean larval salt gland
R. J. Lowy and F. P. Conte
A batch method for isolating viable salt glands from the naupliar brine
shrimp (Artemia salina) has been developed. This protocol produces a final
preparation consisting of approximately 185 isolated salt glands,
representing 1 X 10(4) secretory cells/g wet wt nauplii, with a final
purity of 88%. Assays of cell integrity and function indicate good
retention of in situ characteristics. Vital dye was excluded by 95% of the
cells for at least 24 h. The O2 consumption rate was 22.7 nM O2 X min-1 X
mg protein-1 and could be altered predictably by compounds known to affect
oxidative phosphorylation and ion transport. The specific activity of the
Na+-K+-ATPase in the salt gland, measured here for the first time, was 9.1
mM Pi X h-1 X mg protein-1. This is a substantial proportion of the body
total, 17%, as expected for an active ion-transporting epithelium.
