Abstract
Abstract While the effects of potassium ion (K + ) on the settlement and metamorphosis of mollusc larvae have been studied in some species, little of this research has focused on the Pacific oyster ( Crassostrea gigas ). It is still unclear which of the potassium channels, the voltage-gated channel or the inward rectifier channel, plays the more important role in the settlement and metamorphosis of mollusc larvae. In this study, the effects of K + and K + channel inhibitors on the settlement and metamorphosis of Pacific oyster larvae were examined. After 24, 48, or 72 h, the highest oyster larval settlement rate was observed at 19 mM K + . The relative metamorphosis rate (number of larvae at metamorphosis ∕ number of larvae at settlement) decreased with increasing K + concentration, however, the highest total metamorphosis rate (number of larvae at metamorphosis ∕ total number of larvae) was observed at 19 mM K + as a result of the very high settlement rate at this concentration. Treatment with tetraethyl-ammonium, the voltage-gated potassium channel inhibitor, resulted in a more obvious suppression of K + -induced oyster larval settlement than Glyburide (Glib), an inhibitor of the inward rectifier potassium channel. These results suggest that the voltage-gated potassium channel may play a more important role than the inward rectifier potassium channel in the settlement of oyster larvae.
Published Version
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