Salmon species, known for undertaking arduous upstream migrations, appear to owe a good deal of their athletic ability to the presence of a single enzyme.
Salmon species, known for undertaking arduous upstream migrations, appear to owe a good deal of their athletic ability to the presence of a single enzyme.
New research indicates that plasma-accessible carbonic anhydrase (paCA)—an enzyme anchored to the walls of salmons' blood vessels—helps reduce how hard their hearts have to work during exercise by up to 27 per cent.
"Salmon species get one shot at reproduction, and we know cardiovascular performance can be a limiting factor during migration," says zoologist Till Harter, who led the study while a researcher at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
"It appears paCA plays a key role in enhancing the animal's ability to extract oxygen from their blood, making salmon great aerobic athletes and giving them a much-needed edge during migration."
Read more at: The University of British Columbia
While focused on Atlantic salmon, the results may also apply to other salmonids. (Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region: Wikimedia Commons)
