Changes in the Activity of Na+/K+-ATPase and in the Lipid Composition of the Gills of Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Salmonidae) from the White Sea in the Course of Spawning Migration

Abstract

Data are presented on changes in the activity of the membrane-bound osmoregulatory enzyme Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and lipid composition in the gills of pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha during spawning migration from the White Sea to the river environment through the estuary. The compensatory reaction of pink salmon in a hypoosmotic environment is accompanied by a decrease in Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity and a change in the content of phosphatidylserine and polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic). The results obtained indicate that effective osmoregulation in pink salmon during spawning migration from the sea to the river allows the implementation of a reproductive strategy.