[Starvation and chemoreception in Antarctic benthic invertebrates]

Sensitivity (chemoreception) to different amino acids was studied in six invertebrate species: Serolis polita, Glyptonotus antarcticus, Abyssochromene plebs, Waldeckia obesa, Odontaster validus, and Sterechinus neumayeri. The sensitivity was estimated by the changes in basic metabolism (respiration rate). Starvation increased the sensitivity in all the species. The metabolism rates increased in the presence of L-glutamic acid in G. antarcticus, A. plebs, O. validus, and S. neumayeri. The serine and arginine amino acids had a significant impact on the metabolism of the necrophagous species S. polita and W. obesa. The chemical information may be mediated by means of L-glutamic acid via glutamate receptors, which can be blocked by kynurenic acid, as occurs in the experiments with G. antarcticus and A. plebs.