Effect of hypoxic stress on the glycolytic pathway of Onchidium reevesii

Abstract

The escalating incidence of hypoxia in intertidal environs, a consequence of global warming and eutrophic episodes, presents a formidable peril to the biota ensconced within these precincts. This inquiry delves into whether Onchidium reevesii, a denizen of the intertidal sphere, harnesses the glycolytic sequence to derive energy and surmount hypoxic adversity. To this end, the pivotal gene implicated in the glycolytic cascade, termed OrGLUT-1, was replicated and subjected to a bioinformatic dissection. The technology of Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was employed to assess the transcriptional abundance of OrGLUT-1within diversified tissues of O.reevesii, most notably the central nervous system and hepatopancreas, during anoxic duress. Additionally, the study scrutinized alterations in genes germane to energy metabolism—namely hexokinase(HK) and pyruvate kinase (PK)—within the aforementioned tissues and highlighted enzymatic fluxes pertaining to Hexokinase, Pyruvate kinase, and Lactate dehydrogenase under similarly austere conditions. The findings disclose that OrGLUT-1's cDNA spans a length of 2,386 base pairs, and boasts a pronounced expression in both the central nervous substrate as well as hepatic digestion glands. Notably, hypoxia precipitated discernible modulation in the transcripts of OrGLUT-1, alongside genes HK and PK, within both neural and hepatopancreatic tissues. Concomitantly, the enzymatic vigor of HK, PK, and LDH in neural matter evinced an escalatory pattern, suggesting that O.reevesiimight indeed resort to the glycolytic route for energy acquisition amidst oxygen-scarce habitats. Collectively, these revelations furnish pivotal comprehension into the adaptive stratagems of O.reevesii under hypoxic conditions and could potentially undergird strategies tailored to shield organisms within the intertidal zones from the ravages of anoxic stress.