Effect of Anoxia on the Adenylates and the Energy Charge in the Sea Anemone, Bunodosoma cavernata (BOSC)

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Abstract
Acute exposure of the sea anemone Bunodosoma cavernata to anoxia resulted in a rapid decline in ATP levels and parallel increases in ADP and AMP. The tissue ATP/ADP ratio and adenylate energy charge fell to 0.77 and 0.54, respectively, and remained essentially constant for 4 days of anoxia. Time course studies showed that the bulk of the changes in adenylates occurred within the first hour of anoxia. Return to normoxic conditions resulted in a shift of the components of the adenylate pool back to the preanoxic condition. This postanoxic recovery of the adenylates occurred within 12 h. When specimens of B. cavernata were maintained under anoxia in the presence of iodoacetate, the energy charge fell in 6 h to 0.3, indicating that glycolysis is essential in maintaining the anaerobic cellular energy state. We conclude that anoxia induces ar altered but stable cellular energy state in B. cavernata. This phenomenon may promote long-term survival under anoxic conditions due to a reduction in energy demands in this sea anemone.