Metabolic disposition of lactate in the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus and the stone crab Menippe mercenaria

Abstract

The metabolism of 14C-labelled lactate was investigated in the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus and the stone crab Menippe mercenaria. When a bolus of (14C-U)-D-lactate was injected into L. polyphemus, there was substantial release pf 14CO2 into the medium. In the case of M. mercenaria, 14CO2 release was also observed after injection of (14C-U)-L-lactate into experimental individuals. Analysis of the distribution of radioactivity in whole body extracts of both species revealed easily detectable amounts of radioactivity in the glycogen fraction, although the bulk of the radioactivity was in the cation, anion/neutral and CO2 fractions. To investigate the metabolism of lactate further, 14C-labelled lactate was injected into large individuals of L. polyphemus and M. mercenaria, and the distribution of radioactivity was determined in the hemolymph, muscle and hepatopancreas. Utilization of (14C-U)-D-lactate by L. polyphemus resulted in the accumulation of significant amounts of labelled glucose in all three body compartments as well as the production of labelled glycogen in the telson levator muscle and hepatopancreas. Utilization of (14C-U)-L-lactate resulted in a similar pattern of glucose and glycogen labelling in the hemolymph, cheliped muscle and hepatopancreas of M. mercenaria. These studies demonstrate that both L. polyphemus and M. mercenaria have the capacity for glyco- and gluconeogenesis using lactate as the substrate.