Thermal acclimation in selected tissues of the leopard frog Rana pipiens

Abstract

1. 1. Significant correlations were found to exist in Rana pipiens between the in vitro metabolism of specific tissue and variables such as sex, season, photoperiod and length of acclimation, which necessitated the evaluation of temperature effects on tissue metabolism by using these factors as covariates. 2. 2. Adjusted mean oxygen consumption values for cardiac muscle indicated a clockwise rotation of the rate-temperature curve for the 5°C acclimation group while Q 10 values for this tissue demonstrated little metabolic dependence on temperature between 5 and 13°C. 3. 3. Skeletal muscle metabolism increased significantly ( P < 0.001) as temperatures of determination increased, but the Q 10 values were lower than would be predicted from a temperature-dependent system. 4. 4. Oxygen consumption of liver slices was highly temperature dependent with Q 10 values approximating 2.00. 5. 5. The rate-temperature curve for liver from the 5°C acclimation group displayed translation above the curve of the 20°C group while translation between these curves was in the opposite direction for skeletal muscle.