Interactions of citrate synthases from osmoconforming and osmoregulating animals with salt: possible signs of molecular eco-adaptation?

This study considers differential sensitivity of citrate synthase (citrate oxaloacetatelyase [CoA acetylating]) EC 4.1.3.7. from an osmoconforming animal (sea anemone) and an osmoregulating animal (the pig) to salt. Attention is drawn to the fact that the osmoconforming sea anemone is in essence a sessile creature while the pig is readily mobile and able to change its ionic environment at will. It had been shown earlier that citrate synthase from another osmoconformer (oyster) is also not sensitive to ionic strength while citrate synthase from osmoregulating white shrimp is sensitive to increasing levels of salt. However, these enzymes are characteristically regulated by ATP and alpha-ketoglutarate. Both forms of citrate synthase are denatured by 6 M guanidine hydrochloride and are aided by salt levels in their refolding but the rate and extent of refolding of the osmoconformer citrate synthase are greater than those of the osmoregulator citrate synthase. Catalytic activity of both forms of citrate synthase is inhibited by incubation in distilled water; osmoconformer citrate synthase was inhibited completely in 7 h while osmoregulator citrate synthase was inhibited only 60% in this time and 80% after 22 h in distilled water. The eco-adaptive and evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.