Effects of Recombinant Aquaporin 3 and Seawater Acclimation on the Expression of Aquaporin 3 and 8 mRNAs in the Parr and Smolt Stages of Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the role of two aquaporin isoforms (AQP3 and AQP8) in response to the hyperosmotic challenge of transitioning from freshwater (FW) to seawater (SW) during parr and smoltification (smolt) using the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. We examined the changes in the expression of AQPs mRNAs in the gills and intestine of the parr and smolt stages of rainbow trout transferred from FW to SW using quantitative real-time PCR in an osmotically changing environment [FW, SW, and recombinant AQP3 (rAQP3) injection at two dosage rates]. Correspondingly, AQPs were greater during smoltification than during parr stages in the rainbow trout. Plasma osmolality and gill Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity increased when the fish were exposed to SW, but these parameters decreased when the fish were exposed to SW following treatment with rAQP3 during the transition to seawater. Our results suggest that AQPs play an important role in water absorbing mechanisms associated with multiple AQP isoforms in a hyperosmotic environment.