Temperature-Mediated Processes in Teleost Immunity: Homeoviscous Adaptation in Teleost Lymphocytes

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In vitro studies with pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) lymphocytes demonstrated that the temperature to which a fish is acclimated in vivo affects the temperature dependence of lymphocyte responses to mitogenic stimulation with concanavalin A (Con A) in vitro, i.e., at an in vitro temperature of 20.degree., the lymphocytes of 17.degree. acclimated fish responded to Con A better than the lymphocytes of 27.degree. acclimated fish. Fluidity measurements of plasma membranes from lymphocytes isolated from both cold- and warm-acclimated pinfish were made using fluorescence polarization spectrophotometry and the fluorescent membrane probe, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. While the membranes of cold-acclimated pinfish were more fluid than those of warm-acclimated fish when both were measured at the same temperature, the fluidities were equal when measured at the respective acclimation temperatures. The process of homeoviscous adaptation of lymphocyte plasma membranes may be an important aspect of teleost immunity.