Levels of Metabolic Enzymes and Nitrogenous Compounds in the Swimming Crab Portunus trituberculatus Exposed to Elevated Ambient Ammonia-N

This study investigated the effects of ammonia-N (control and 1 and 5 mg L−1) on the changes of metabolic enzymes activities and nitrogenous compounds levels in the gills, hepatopancreas, muscles, and hemolymph of the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus. Results showed that the levels of hemolymph ammonia increased significantly at 6 h and then decreased to control level at 12 h. The activities of key enzymes involved in biosynthesis pathways of glutamine (Gln) and urea, such as glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamine synthetase (GS), and arginase (ARG), increased remarkably in different tissues of P. trituberculatus. Gln level was the highest in muscles, while urea content was the largest in hepatopancreas. The mRNA expression level of xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) was downregulated sharply in gills but upregulated in the hepatopancreas and muscles. A small amount of uric acid was detected in the hemolymph. This result suggests that Gln in muscles may be used as an intermediary nitrogen repository, while urea may be primarily synthesized in the hepatopancreas and then transferred to other tissues via the hemolymph. Uric acid could be synthesized by the anabolism of purine nucleotides, in additon to the inhibitory activities of gills. In addition, the levels of Gln, urea and uric acid exhibited dose- and time-dependent effects with ammonia content. Therefore, P. trituberculatus could possibly convert ammonia into Gln, urea, or uric acid to detoxify ammonia during high ambient ammonia-N stress.