Tissue-dependent variations of hydrogen sulfide homeostasis in anoxic freshwater turtles

• DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203976
• Publication Date: 2019-05-20T13:45:10Z
• Authors: Birgitte Jensen; Sibile Pardue; Christopher G. Kevil; Angela Fago
• Keywords: Homeostasis

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) controls numerous physiological responses. To understand its proposed role in metabolic suppression, we measured free H2S and bound sulfane sulfur (BSS) tissues of the freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta, a species undergoing strong suppression when cold anoxic. In warm normoxic turtles, was higher red blood cells (RBCs) kidney (∼9-10 µmol l−1) compared to brain, liver lung (∼1-2 l−1). These values overall aligned with tissue H2S-generating enzymatic activity. BSS levels were similar all (∼0.5 but ∼100-fold RBCs, having high thiol content, suggesting that RBCs function as circulating reservoir. Cold-acclimation caused significant changes liver, brain anoxia had no further effect, except for brain. results show tissue-dependent signaling potential during turtles.