Physiological compensation in unilateral eyestalk ablated crayfish, Cheraxquadricarinatus

The eyestalks of crustaceans contain neurosecretory cells involved in the r egulation of molting. In crayfish, bilateral ablation results in increased molting frequency and weight gain whereas unilateral ablation typically has no effect on molting frequency and weight gain. The effects of unilateral ablation were examined in juvenile Australian freshwater crayfish, Cherax q uadricarinatus, As observed for other crayfish species, molting frequency a nd weight gain of unilateral ablated crayfish were not significantly differ ent from control (intact) crayfish. Survival of unilateral ablated crayfish , however, was reduced compared to controls and was likely due to stress as sociated with the surgical procedure itself. Using radiolabeling techniques , protein synthesis was determined for neural tissues from the remaining ey estalk of ablated crayfish and compared to protein synthesis of neural tiss ues from eyestalks of control, non-ablated crayfish. Protein synthesis of a blated crayfish neural tissues was significantly higher (ca. 45%) than prot ein synthesis of control neural tissues. Electrophoretic analysis (SDS-PAGE and autoradiography) further demonstrated that protein synthesis increased linearly for all proteins in the remaining eyestalk of ablated crayfish. T ogether, these results suggest that a compensatory response occurred in uni lateral ablated crayfish allowing normal physiological functions, particula rly those involved in regulating growth cycles, to be maintained. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.