Fish Swimbladder Research Articles

Glycosaminoglycans from fish swim bladder: isolation, structural characterization and bioactive potential.

The swim bladder of fish is an internal gas-filled organ that allows fish to control their buoyancy and swimming depth. Fish maws (the dried swim bladders of fish) have been used over many centuries as traditional medicines, tonics and a luxurious gourmet food in China and Southeast Asia. Little is known about the structural information of polysaccharides comprising this important functional material of fish tissue. In the present study, the total glycosaminoglycan (GAG) from fish maw was characterized. Two GAGs were identified, chondroitin sulfate (CS, having a molecular weight of 18-40kDa) and heparan sulfate (HS), corresponding to 95% and 5% of the total GAG, respectively. Chondroitinase digestion showed that the major CS GAG was composed of ΔUA-1→3-GalNAc4S (59.7%), ΔUA-1→3-GalNAc4,6S (36.5%), ΔUA-1→3-GalNAc6S (2.2%) and ΔUA-1→3-GalNAc (1.6%) disaccharide units. 1H-NMR analysis and degradation with specific chondroitinases, both CS-type A/C and CS-type B were present in a ratio of 1.4:1. Analysis using surface plasmon resonance showed that fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 bound to the CS fraction (KD=136nM). These results suggest that this CS may be involved in FGF-signal pathway, mediating tissue repair, regeneration and wound healing. The CS, as the major GAG in fish maw, may have potential pharmacological activity in accelerating wound healing.

Cuttlefish

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Fast charging self-powered wearable and flexible asymmetric supercapacitor power cell with fish swim bladder as an efficient natural bio-piezoelectric separator

Fabrication of environmental friendly, compact and wearable electronic device using a flexible substrate that synchronously harvests and stores energy by the co-ordination of a conventional energy harvesting and storage mechanism in a single portable device is highly essential to design modern electronics. Here, for the first time, we highlight the fabrication of a natural bio-piezoelectric driven self-charging asymmetric supercapacitor (SCASC) power cell consisting of nickel-cobalt double hydroxide nanoplies decorated copper oxide nanoflakes substantially grown on a flexible copper foil (NiCoOH-CuO@Cu foil) as a binder free positive electrode and reduced graphene oxide coated copper foil (RGO@Cu foil) as negative electrode with a PVA–KOH gel electrolyte soaked perforated fish swim bladder as natural bio-piezoelectric separator (BPES). The prompt and self-charging behavior of the power cell was established by mechanically deforming it under human finger imparting and by several casual natural body motions. The rectification-free SCASC device can be charged up to 281.3mV from its initial open circuit potential (~130.1mV) in ~80s under continuous human finger imparting at a frequency of 1.65Hz. Moreover, eight serially connected SCASC devices can instantaneously light-up four red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and power-up various portable electronic appliances on frequent imparting. Thus, the light-weight SCASC with unique design resembles its desirability for future generation smart and wearable electronics.

Intra- and Intersexual swim bladder dimorphisms in the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus): Implications of swim bladder proximity to the inner ear for sound pressure detection.

The plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus, is a nocturnal marine teleost that uses social acoustic signals for communication during the breeding season. Nesting type I males produce multiharmonic advertisement calls by contracting their swim bladder sonic muscles to attract females for courtship and spawning while subsequently attracting cuckholding type II males. Here, we report intra- and intersexual dimorphisms of the swim bladder in a vocal teleost fish and detail the swim bladder dimorphisms in the three sexual phenotypes (females, type I and II males) of plainfin midshipman fish. Micro-computerized tomography revealed that females and type II males have prominent, horn-like rostral swim bladder extensions that project toward the inner ear end organs (saccule, lagena, and utricle). The rostral swim bladder extensions were longer, and the distance between these swim bladder extensions and each inner-ear end organ type was significantly shorter in both females and type II males compared to that in type I males. Our results revealed that the normalized swim bladder length of females and type II males was longer than that in type I males while there was no difference in normalized swim bladder width among the three sexual phenotypes. We predict that these intrasexual and intersexual differences in swim bladder morphology among midshipman sexual phenotypes will afford greater sound pressure sensitivity and higher frequency detection in females and type II males and facilitate the detection and localization of conspecifics in shallow water environments, like those in which midshipman breed and nest.

Separation of MiPS/MaPS spectrogram transformations in biosonar

Echolocating bats and dolphins differ in signals, sound emission, and reception pathways, and important aspects of the acoustic medium. They do, however, receive broadcasts and echoes through similar parallel bandpass filters in the cochlea, which impose integration-times of several hundred microseconds. Echoes consisting of several overlapping reflections from target glints (insect body-parts, fish swim bladders) interfere upon reception to form complex echoes with spectral interference patterns that characterize the target’s shape. Bats transform these patterns into images that depict the glints themselves along the range axis, a process called Spectrogram Correlation and Transformation (SCAT). Experiments with dolphins suggest two different scales for recognizing shape from echo spectra—macro- vs micro-power spectral features for ST (MaPS for short glint separations of <80 µs; MiPS for longer separations >80 µs). We tested this finding in big brown bats trained to distinguish between 2-glint echoes with long, MiPS-like and short MaPS-like spectral features and found that MiPS covers delay separations of about 25-500 µs from the frequency separation of spectral nulls, which have to fit into FM1 for ST to occur. At a deep level, dolphins and bats appear to share a common processing strategy for forming images. [Work supported by ONR.]

First Report of Swim Bladder-Associated Microbiota in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The aim of the present study was to identify major bacteria associated with the swim bladder in the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. We extracted DNA from the swim bladder and gut contents in order to perform a temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) analysis of 16S rRNA amplicons for bacterial identification to further compare both profiles. Arthrobacter and Cellulosimicrobium were the major genera observed in the swim bladder in fish, but were not present in fish gut contents; Mycoplasma were instead observed in these samples. Further research to investigate the possible symbiotic roles of the swim bladder-associated microbiota in salmonids is needed.

Wall structure and material properties cause viscous damping of swimbladder sounds in the oyster toadfish Opsanus tau.

Despite rapid damping, fish swimbladders have been modelled as underwater resonant bubbles. Recent data suggest that swimbladders of sound-producing fishes use a forced rather than a resonant response to produce sound. The reason for this discrepancy has not been formally addressed, and we demonstrate, for the first time, that the structure of the swimbladder wall will affect vibratory behaviour. Using the oyster toadfish Opsanus tau, we find regional differences in bladder thickness, directionality of collagen layers (anisotropic bladder wall structure), material properties that differ between circular and longitudinal directions (stress, strain and Young's modulus), high water content (80%) of the bladder wall and a 300-fold increase in the modulus of dried tissue. Therefore, the swimbladder wall is a viscoelastic structure that serves to damp vibrations and impart directionality, preventing the expression of resonance.

Enzymatic extraction and characterisation of a thermostable collagen from swim bladder of rohu (Labeo rohita).

The fish swim bladder is considered as a potential source of realistic collagen. Currently, processing of the Indian major carp rohu (Labeo rohita) generates an enormous quantity of non-edible by-products, including swim bladders, which are discarded as waste with no commercial value. In the present study, collagen was prepared from rohu swim bladder and its physicochemical and fibril-forming capacities were assessed. The collagen isolated from rohu swim bladder was characterised as type I, containing α1 and α2 chains with triple helical structure by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and amino acid analysis. The extracted collagen denaturation temperature was found to be 42.16 °C by differential scanning calorimetry analysis and also exhibited a high solubility in the presence of low NaCl concentrations (0-0.6 mol L-1 ). The extracted collagen exhibited a high fibril-formation capacity at a NaCl concentration of 1.5 mol L-1 . Examination of the microstructure of collagen by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed a porous, sheet-like film and a multilayered structure. The fibril formation capacity of collagen was also confirmed using SEM analysis. The rohu swim bladder type I collagen was successfully extracted using an enzymatic method with a yield of 465.2 g kg-1 (dry weight basis) and was characterised as a well maintained triple helical structure. The extracted collagen exhibited a high fibril-forming ability. The results of the present study confirm that utilisation of rohu swim bladder will open up a new avenue for the better disposal of by-products and also help to minimise environmental pollution issues. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Efficient natural piezoelectric nanogenerator: Electricity generation from fish swim bladder

An efficient bio-piezoelectric nanogenerator (BPNG) is fabricated from the fish swim bladder (FSB), composed of well-aligned natural collagen nano–fibrils. The self-alignment of highly ordered structure in the FSB collagen has been confirmed by angular dependent near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. Compressive normal stress by human finger can able to drive the BPNG that generates an open-circuit voltage of 10V and short-circuit current of 51nA. The generated electricity from the FSB instantly turns on more than 50 commercial blue light emitting diodes (LEDs), indicates to use as a sustainable power source in portable electronic devices where the bulky battery counterpart can be avoided. The instantaneous piezoelectric power generation (~4.15μW/cm2) and substantial energy conversion efficiency (~0.3%) of BPNG promises an emerging application, particularly to built self-powered biomedical sensors because collagen itself one of the most abundant protein available in human body.

Comparison of nutritional quality in fish maw product of croaker Protonibea diacanthus and perch Lates niloticus

Fish maw (the dried swimbladders of fish) is ranked in the list of the four sea treasures in Chinese cuisine. Fish maw is mainly produced from croaker, which is the most highly priced. However, some of the fish maw being sold as croaker maw are in fact not from croaker, but from the Nile perch Lates niloticus. The present work determined and compared the proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid composition of croaker Protonibea diacanthus maw and perch L. niloticus maw. The results indicated that both maws were high protein sources and low in fat content. The dominant amino acids in both maws were glycine, proline, glutamic acid, alanine and arginine. These amino acids constituted 66.2% and 66.4% of the total amino acids in P. diacanthus and L. niloticus, respectively. The ratio of FAA: TAA (functional amino acids: total amino acids) in both maws were 0.69. This is a good explanation for why fish maws have been widely utilized as a traditional tonic and remedy in Asia. Except valine and histidine, all the essential amino acid contents in P. diacanthus were higher than in L. niloticus. Moreover, croaker P. diacanthus maw contained more AA and DHA than perch L. niloticus maw, showing a higher ratio of n-3 / n-6, which is more desirable.

Caspian Isinglass, a versatile and sustainable biocatalyst for domino synthesis of spirooxindoles and spiroacenaphthylenes in water

Isinglass, derived from swim bladders of Caspian Sea fish and consisting predominantly of protein collagen, was found to be an effective, easily accessible heterogeneous biocatalyst for the synthesis of biologically important functionalized spirooxindoles and spiroacenaphthylenes in water. This facile and efficient one-pot, three-component synthesis route involving isatin or acenaphthenequinone, activated methylene reagent, and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds provides a new strategy giving rise to spiro derivatives in quantitative yields in very short reaction times.

The Effect of Hypoxia and Hyperoxia on Growth and Expression of Hypoxia-Related Genes and Proteins in Spotted Gar Lepisosteus oculatus Larvae and Juveniles.

We studied the molecular responses to different water oxygen levels in gills and swim bladder of spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), a bimodal breather. Fish at swim-up stage were exposed for 71 days to normoxic, hypoxic, and hyperoxic water conditions. Then, all aquaria were switched to normoxic conditions for recovery until the end of the experiment (120 days). Fish were sampled at the beginning of the experiment, and then at 71 days of exposure and at 8 days of recovery. We first cloned three hypoxia-related genes, hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF-2α), Na(+) /H(+) exchanger 1 (NHE-1), and NHE-3, and uploaded their cDNA sequences in the GeneBank database. We then used One Step Taqman® real-time PCR to quantify the mRNA copies of target genes in gills and swim bladder of fish exposed to different water O2 levels. We also determined the protein expression of HIF-2α and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the swim bladder by using confocal immunofluorescence. Hypoxic stress for 71 days significantly increased the mRNA copies of HIF-2α and NHE-1 in gills and swim bladder, whereas normoxic recovery for 8 days decreased the HIF-2α mRNA copies to control values in both tissues. We did not found significant changes in mRNA copies of the NHE-3 gene in either gills or swim bladder in response to hypoxia and hyperoxia. Unlike in normoxic swim bladder, double immunohistochemical staining in hypoxic and hyperoxic swim bladder using nNOS/HIF-2α showed extensive bundles of HIF-2α-positive nerve fibers in the trabecular musculature associated with a few varicose nNOS immunoreactive nerve terminals.

Involvement of microbial mats in early fossilization by decay delay and formation of impressions and replicas of vertebrates and invertebrates.

Microbial mats have been hypothesized to improve the persistence and the preservation of organic remains during fossilization processes. We test this hypothesis with long-term experiments (up to 5.5 years) using invertebrate and vertebrate corpses. Once placed on mats, the microbial community coats the corpses and forms a three-dimensional sarcophagus composed of microbial cells and exopolymeric substances (EPS). This coverage provides a template for i) moulding superficial features, resulting in negative impressions, and ii) generating replicas. The impressions of fly setulae, fish scales and frog skin verrucae are shaped mainly by small cells in an EPS matrix. Microbes also replicate delicate structures such as the three successive layers that compose a fish eye. The sarcophagus protects the body integrity, allowing the persistence of inner organs such as the ovaries and digestive apparatus in flies, the swim bladder and muscles in fish, and the bone marrow in frog legs. This study brings strong experimental evidence to the idea that mats favour metazoan fossilization by moulding, replicating and delaying decay. Rapid burial has classically been invoked as a mechanism to explain exceptional preservation. However, mats may play a similar role during early fossilization as they can preserve complex features for a long time.

Improved ROS defense in the swimbladder of a facultative air-breathing erythrinid fish, jeju, compared to a non-air-breathing close relative, traira.

The jeju Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus and the traira Hoplias malabaricus are two closely related erythrinid fish, both possessing a two-chambered physostomous swimbladder. In the jeju the anterior section of the posterior bladder is highly vascularized and the swimbladder is used for aerial respiration; the traira, in turn, is a water-breather that uses the swimbladder as a buoyancy organ and not for aerial oxygen uptake. Observation of the breathing behavior under different levels of water oxygenation revealed that the traira started aquatic surface respiration only under severe hypoxic conditions and did not breathe air. In the jeju air-breathing behavior was observed under normoxic conditions, and the frequency of air-breathing was significantly increased under hypoxic conditions. Unexpectedly, even under hyperoxic conditions (30 mg O2 L−1) the jeju continued to take air breaths, and compared with normoxic conditions the frequency was not reduced. Because the frequently air-exposed swimbladder tissue faces higher oxygen partial pressures than normally experienced by other fish tissues, it was hypothesized that in the facultative air-breathing jeju, swimbladder tissue would have a higher antioxidative capacity than the swimbladder tissue of the water breathing traira. Measurement of total glutathione (GSSG/GSH) concentration in anterior and posterior swimbladder tissue revealed a higher concentration of this antioxidant in swimbladder tissue as compared to muscle tissue in the jeju. Furthermore, the GSSG/GSH concentration in jeju tissues was significantly higher than in traira tissues. Similarly, activities of enzymes involved in the breakdown of reactive oxygen species were significantly higher in the jeju swimbladder as compared to the traira swimbladder. The results show that the jeju, using the swimbladder as an additional breathing organ, has an enhanced antioxidative capacity in the swimbladder as compared to the traira, using the swimbladder only as a buoyancy organ.

Bioacoustic absorption spectroscopy: An acoustical oceanography method for the study of marine ecosystems

Recent experiments have demonstrated the potential of the Bioacoustic Absorption Spectroscopy (BAS) method for measuring number densities vs. fish length and species when combined with concurrent trawling data, and studying vertical migrations and schooling behavior of fish at mesoscale dimensions.. Measurements of transmission loss between moving or stationary broadband source(s) and vertical array(s) of hydrophones separated by several (up to ~10) km permits inference of absorption coefficients versus frequency and depth, and association of absorption lines with the resonance frequencies of fish swim bladders. BAS is environmentally friendly, as it can be implemented with source levels < 170 dB, is sensitive to fish throughout the water column, including near boundaries, and is not affected by avoidance. The most significant results of BAS experiments will be reviewed, and possible approaches for use of the BAS method for routine scientific study and fisheries surveys of marine ecosystems will be consid...

Heterochrony as Diachronically Modified Cell-Cell Interactions.

Heterochrony is an enabling concept in evolution theory that metaphorically captures the mechanism of biologic change due to mechanisms of growth and development. The spatio-temporal patterns of morphogenesis are determined by cell-to-cell signaling mediated by specific soluble growth factors and their cognate receptors on nearby cells of different germline origins. Subsequently, down-stream production of second messengers generates patterns of form and function. Environmental upheavals such as Romer’s hypothesized drying up of bodies of water globally caused the vertebrate water-land transition. That transition caused physiologic stress, modifying cell-cell signaling to generate terrestrial adaptations of the skeleton, lung, skin, kidney and brain. These tissue-specific remodeling events occurred as a result of the duplication of the Parathyroid Hormone-related Protein Receptor (PTHrPR) gene, expressed in mesodermal fibroblasts in close proximity to ubiquitously expressed endodermal PTHrP, amplifying this signaling pathway. Examples of how and why PTHrPR amplification affected the ontogeny, phylogeny, physiology and pathophysiology of the lung are used to substantiate and further our understanding through insights to the heterochronic mechanisms of evolution, such as the fish swim bladder evolving into the vertebrate lung, interrelated by such functional homologies as surfactant and mechanotransduction. Instead of the conventional description of this phenomenon, lung evolution can now be understood as adaptive changes in the cellular-molecular signaling mechanisms underlying its ontogeny and phylogeny.

Molecular identification of croaker dried swim bladders (maw) on sale in Hong Kong using 16S rRNA nucleotide sequences and implications for conservation

Hong Kong is a major import and transhipment centre for seafood inclusive of a wide range of dried products. Dried fish swim bladder (commonly referred to as ‘maw’) has long been a significant and valuable component of dried seafood sold in the city. Although the species and provenance of swim bladder are poorly documented the major target taxon involved has historically been the croakers (Sciaenidae). This study is the first to examine the possible provenance and species supplying dried fish swim bladder on sale in Hong Kong using DNA barcoding based on the partial sequence of the 16S rRNA gene. A reference sequence database was constructed from available Genbank fragments and sequences obtained from freshly identified fish specimens. Seventy-nine individual dried fish swim bladders, consisting of four commonly sold morphotypes, were examined with sequences successfully obtained from ∼46% of the samples. Five taxa were identified, four of which matched known species in the sequence database, including three sciaenids and one latid. Confidence in species identifications was high due to low within-group divergence (0.0–1.3%) and high between-group divergence (≥2.9%). None of the identified species is local to Hong Kong waters and none are cultured. Several croakers exploited for swim bladder are depleted or threatened, two of them globally endangered. Interest in fish swim bladder in Chinese markets remains high and it has recently become a replacement for sharks' fin in banquets with decline in fin use. These findings highlight the value of barcoding for species verification of processed fish swim bladders and its potential application in the monitoring of their international trade. The findings also highlight data gaps for species coverage in the available DNA sequences and the need for better trade monitoring of dried swim bladder.

Abstract A33: Preparation of local anti-wart and anti-inflammatory rub of polyglycidol based saturated lipid (DDP-PG) with HPMC containing curcumin

Abstract Curcumin is absorbed poorly and has a limited bioavailability to work promptly as an anti-cancer drug or as an anti-inflammatory agent. If curcumin could be delivered directly into the cell, it might be a potential therapeutic against the inflammation and thereby cancer signaling cascades. In order to reach this goal here a topical medicament (rub) containing curcumin has been developed as an alternative therapeutic especially for skin inflammation and cancer thereby. We synthesized polyglycidol based block copolymers DDP-PG (MW 2700), which was incorporated into HPMC (7%) to prepare the rub containing curcumin. One more formulation containing monoolein rac glycerol (MO) with DDP-PG was incorporated. The diffusion of curcumin was evaluated in vitro using a biomembrane (fish swim bladder). The diffusion of curcumin form DDP-PG based formulation did not differ from that of MO, which is the indication of their suitability as biomaterials for the preparation of a transdermal penetrating vehicle. Subsequently, curcumin containing DDP-PG was evaluated directly for therapeutic purposes treating local apoptotic skin, inflammatory sites and benign tumor mass (wart). It showed skin cured very promisingly from apoptosis, which might be worst if not treated in time. It cleared the inflammation perfectly and reduced dramatically the size of the wart (a benign tumor) as well. Citation Format: Sharif Mohammad Shaheen, Pavel Bakardzhiev, Denitsa Momekova, Neli S. Koseva, Stanislav Rangelov. Preparation of local anti-wart and anti-inflammatory rub of polyglycidol based saturated lipid (DDP-PG) with HPMC containing curcumin. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy: A New Chapter; December 1-4, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2015;3(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A33.

Environmental factors that contribute to high frequency bottom loss variability

We discuss three factors: short range sediment variability, bio-attenuation, and seafloor roughness. In a previous presentation (ASA 2013), we have shown that statistical distributions of bottom loss values derived from measured transmission loss (TL) are nearly invariant to measured sediment properties such as sound speed, density, and porosity. To test if this surprising result was caused by under-sampling of sediment cores, three TL runs were done in 2014 when cores were collected at 1 km intervals. The results of these showing short range variations will be discussed. Among the stations in our HFBL database we have found possible evidence for bio-attenuation due to fish (anchovies) swim bladder resonance (Diachok-Wales, JASA 2005). Finite element modeling of a TL station has shown that seafloor roughness can explain the observed frequency dependence of HFBL values (Isakson, report to NAVO). All these will be discussed.

Abstract 4535: Graphene/Pectin-NaCl based gel-biosensor for tracing skin cancer and delivery of anticancer drug paclitaxel

Abstract Graphene(GO)/Pectin/NaCl gel-patch was prepared and evaluated for its bio-sensing. Physical and chemical analyses were carried out to focus the properties of new bio-sensing gel. Afterwards paclitaxel was loaded in the graphene based gel and drug delivery was carried out for dermal delivery, using a biomembrane, a fish swim-bladder in vitro. Kinetic studies were evaluated for feasibility as dermal delivery. Getting information from the kinetic parameters, paclitaxel was delivered to the melanoma cell lines from the gel and cell apoptosis was performed by trypan blue staining. FTIR studies were performed to evaluate the IR-signal transmission between the GO/Pectin/NaCl blend gel and Pectin/NaCl gel. And the same signal was evaluated from that of paclitaxel loaded GO/Pectin/NaCl treated melanoma cells and normal endothelial cells. All our data suggests that GO/Pectin/NaCl blend gel might be a future diagnostic as well as curable anticancer carrier for local cancer therapy. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Sharif M. Shaheen, Daniel Gromadzki, Amor Abdelkader, Stanislav Rangelov. Graphene/Pectin-NaCl based gel-biosensor for tracing skin cancer and delivery of anticancer drug paclitaxel. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4535. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4535