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Caenorhabditis elegans, a cholesterol auxotroph, showed defects in larval development upon cholesterol starvation (CS) in a previous study. To identify cholesterol-responsive proteins likely responsible for the larval arrest upon CS, a comparative proteomic analysis was performed between C. elegans grown in normal medium supplemented with cholesterol (CN) and those grown in medium not supplemented with cholesterol (cholesterol starvation, CS). Our analysis revealed significant change (more than 2.2-fold, p < 0.05) in nine proteins upon CS. Six proteins were down-regulated [CE01270 (EEF-1A.1), CE08852 (SAMS-1), CE11068 (PMT-2), CE09015 (ACDH-1), CE12564 (R07H5.8), and CE09655 (RLA-0)], and three proteins were up-regulated [CE29645 (LEC-1), CE16576 (LEC-5), and CE01431 (NEX-1)]. RNAi phenotypes of two of the down-regulated genes, R07H5.8 (adenosine kinase) and rla-0 (ribosomal protein), in CN were similar to that of larval arrest in CS, and RNAi of a down-regulated gene, R07H5.8, in CS further enhanced the effects of CS, suggesting that downregulation of these genes is likely responsible for the larval arrest in CS. All three up-regulated genes contain putative DAF-16 binding sites and mRNA levels of these three genes were all decreased in daf-16 mutants in CN, suggesting that DAF-16 activates expression of these genes.

This study investigated survival rate, osmorality, respiration, excretion and histological response with change of salinity in the abalone, Haliotis discus hannai at 24 ± 1℃. Survival rate was 100% at 37.0 psu whereas all died after 6 days at 19.8 psu and within 24 hours at 12.8 psu, respectively. The 7-day median lethal limit (7day-LS50) was 20.1-28.2 psu with confidence limits of 20.1-28.2 psu. Respiration rate in low salinity groups was lower than control group, but ammonia excretion rate was more increased in comparison to control group. Osmorality was acclimated within 1 hour at above of 26.8 psu but others could not acclimated at each experimental salinity. Histological observation of foot muscle showed hemolymph sinus distension, epidermal destruction and increased infiltration of phagocytes

This study presents physiological rates of oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, feeding rates, O/N ratio and assimilation efficiency of the blood cockle, Scapharca subcrenata, determined from specimens collected in Yeoja bay on the south coast of Korea. Physiological parameters were measured monthly under static, laboratory controlled conditions with ambient conditions, and measurements were performed seasonally in order to estimate scope for growth and its probable sources of variation. Oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rates have been increased as temperature increased with the highest value of August, 2008. Feeding rate was the highest during April whereas the lowest was during August which is a period of gametogenesis with minimum biomass of phytoplankton around sampling area. Assimilation efficiency was not significantly different seasonally and O/N ratio decreased during July to August. The scope for growth was negative during high temperature months(July to August), reflecting the high temperature and low feeding rate, and had its highest positive values during spring and autumn. Data on the physiological parameters and scope for growth of Scapharca subcrenata obtained in this study will be used to assess the carrying capacity for blood cockle cultivation.

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