The egg capsules in the amphibia

SUMMARYThe terrestrial embryos of many amphibians obtain water in two ways; in a liquid phase from the substrate on which eggs are deposited, and in a vapour phase from the surrounding atmosphere. We tested whether the mode of water flux (liquid or vapour) affected the morphology and metabolic traits of the terrestrial Victorian smooth froglet (Geocrinia victoriana) embryos by incubating eggs both with a liquid water source and at a range of vapour water potentials. We found that embryos incubated with a liquid water source (ψ π =0 kPa) were better hydrated than embryos incubated with a vapour water source (ψ v =0 kPa), and grew to a larger size. Eggs incubated in atmospheres with lower ψ v values showed significant declines in mass and in the thickness of the jelly capsule, while embryos primarily showed reductions in dry mass, total length, tail length and fin height. The most significant deviations from control (ψ v =0 kPa) values were observed when the ψ v of the incubation media was less than the osmotic water potential (ψ π ) of the embryonic interstitial fluid (approximately -425 kPa). Despite the caveat that a ψ v of 0 kPa is probably difficult to achieve under our experimental conditions, the findings indicate the importance for eggs under natural conditions of contacting liquid water in the nesting substrate to allow swelling of the capsule.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic differences in terrestrial frog embryos: effect of water potential and phase

Andrewartha

Mitchell

Frappell

2008

“…Many aquatic animals undergo embryonic development inside egg capsules that are deposited in aggregates called egg masses [for examples of different types, see Salthe and others (Salthe, 1963;Hurst, 1967;Strathmann and Chaffee, 1984)]. Encapsulated embryos benefit from an abundance of nutrients in the surrounding capsular fluid, as well as protection from bacterial invasion (Benkendorff et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification and evolutionary implications of neurotransmitter–ciliary interactions underlying the behavioral response to hypoxia inLymnaea stagnalisembryos

Goldberg

Rich

Muruganathan

et al. 2011

SUMMARYAcceleration of embryonic rotation is a common response to hypoxia among pond snails. It was first characterized in Helisoma trivolvis embryos, which have a pair of sensorimotor neurons that detect hypoxia and release serotonin onto postsynaptic ciliary cells. The objective of the present study was to determine how the hypoxia response is mediated in Lymnaea stagnalis, which differ from H. trivolvis by having both serotonergic and dopaminergic neurons, and morphologically distinct ciliated structures at comparative stages of embryonic development. Time-lapse video recordings of the rotational behavior in L. stagnalis revealed similar rotational features to those previously observed in H. trivolvis, including rotational surges and rotational responses to hypoxia. Serotonin and dopamine increased the rate of rotation with similar potency. In contrast, serotonin was more potent than dopamine in stimulating the ciliary beat frequency of isolated pedal cilia. Isolated apical plate cilia displayed an irregular pattern of ciliary beating that precluded the measurement of ciliary beat frequency. A qualitative assessment of ciliary beating revealed that both serotonin and dopamine were able to stimulate apical plate cilia. The ciliary responses to dopamine were reversible in both pedal and apical plate cilia, whereas the responses to serotonin were only reversible at concentrations below 100mmol l -1 . Mianserin, a serotonin receptor antagonist, and SKF83566, a dopamine receptor antagonist, effectively blocked the rotational responses to serotonin and dopamine, respectively. The rotational response to hypoxia was only partially blocked by mianserin, but was fully blocked by SKF83566. These data suggest that, despite the ability of serotonin to stimulate ciliary beating in L. stagnalis embryos, the rotational response to hypoxia is primarily mediated by the transient apical catecholaminergic neurons that innervate the ciliated apical plate. Supplementary material available online at

“…Aquatic breeding amphibians lay eggs enclosed in jelly capsules of varying thickness and structure (Salthe, 1963). The egg capsule confers protection to the embryo (Ward and Sexton, 1981), but also presents a barrier to diffusive respiratory gas exchange (Seymour, 1994;Seymour and Bradford, 1987;Seymour and Bradford, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intermittent hypoxia in eggs ofAmbystoma maculatum: embryonic development and egg capsule conductance

Valls

Mills

2007

SUMMARY The spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum breeds in shallow freshwater pools and imbeds its eggs within a common outer jelly matrix that can limit oxygen availability. The eggs are impregnated with the unicellular alga Oophilia amblystomatis, which produces oxygen during the day but consumes oxygen at night. This daily cycle of algal oxygen production drives a diurnal fluctuation of oxygen partial pressure(PO2) within the eggs, the magnitude of which depends on the distance of an egg from the exterior of the jelly matrix and on the ambient PO2 of the pond. We subjected A. maculatum eggs to fluctuating oxygen levels with a variable minimum PO2 and an invariable maximum, to simulate natural conditions, and measured differences in developmental rate,day and stage at hatching, and egg capsule conductance(GO2). Lower minimum PO2 slowed development and resulted in delayed,yet developmentally premature hatching. GO2increased in all treatments throughout development, but PO2 had no detectable effect on the increase. Intermittent hypoxia caused comparable but less pronounced developmental delays than chronic hypoxia and failed to elicit the measurable change in GO2 seen in ambystomatid salamander eggs exposed to chronic hypoxia.