porpoise projects



During the summer of 2003, I worked with Evan Brickell, a Hendrix College student, to characterize the metabolic properties of the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) scalenus muscle. We discovered that the scalenus muscle is primarily fast-twitch and contains a moderate level of myoglobin (2.19 +/- 0.34 g of myoglobin/100 g of muscle). In addition, Evan was able to demonstrate that the levels of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) and nicatinamide adenine dinucleotide tetrazoleum reductase (NADH-TR) were simliar in both the fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers making up the muscle. These results suggest that the fibers are primarily fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic (FOGs).
 

We presented the results of our study at the January 2004 SICB meeting. Check out our abstract!

 

 

Evan and I also traveled to Wilmington, N.C., during the summer so that he could see some live dolphins. In addition, we performed a necropsy (animal autopsy) on a fetal bottlenose dolphin so that Evan could see how his muscle samples were collected. The picture on the right is a shot of us during the necropsy.



Eric Traister joined the lab in the spring of 2004. His project was a continuation of Evan's. Eric worked to measure the concentrations of SDH and citrate synthase (CS) in the harbor porpoise scalenus muscle and diaphragm using biochemical methods. Both of these enzymes are markers for oxidative activity, and if the scalenus and diaphragm exhibit similar levels of SDH and CS, these results will suggest that the scalenus is a primary inspiratory muscle.
 

Check out Eric's summer project!
 
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