Activity and post-prandial regulation of digestive enzyme activity along the Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) alimentary canal

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215027
• Publication Date: 2019-04-05T17:24:42Z
• Authors: Alyssa M. Weinrauch; Christina M. Scha...; Greg G. Goss
• Keywords: Hagfish; Digestive enzyme; Maltase; Hindgut; Digestion

Hagfishes are living representatives of the earliest-diverging vertebrates and thus useful for study early vertebrate physiology. It has been previously postulated that digestive enzymes account majority digestion because hagfish agastric with notable zymogen granules in specialized cells hindgut. While presence some (amylase, lipase leucinaminopeptidase) have confirmed histochemistry, quantification enzymatic activity is limited. This sought to biochemically quantify tissue six (α-amylase, maltase, lipase, trypsin, aminopeptidase alkaline phosphatase) along length Pacific (Eptatretus stoutii) alimentary canal. In addition, effect feeding on rate enzyme was examined. Overall, maltase trypsin activities were unchanging respect location or status, while α-amylase phosphatase decreased substantially following feeding, but consistent length. Lipase elevated anterior region canal comparison more posterior regions, not altered feeding. indicates an assortment likely result a varied diet. The differential expression these tract regards may be indications compartmentalization function.