Relationship between growth rate and RNA, DNA, protein and dry weight in Artemia salina and Euchaeta japonica
Date
1969
Authors
Dagg, Michael John
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Abstract
The concentration of RNA, DNA and protein, and the dry weight of three cultures of Artemia salina were measured to investigate the usefulness of the RNA-growth relationship in estimating growth or productivity in other species. Similar analyses were done on copepodite stages 3 to 6 of Euchaeta japonica, collected periodically over seven months in Haro Strait and over four months in Saanich Inlet, B.C.
Changes in protein, DNA and RNA concentration, expressed against growth rate occurred in A. salina and E. japonica. DNA concentration appeared to be intrinsic to the stage in E. japonica, being high in the young stages and declining in the older stages. The range of RNA concentrations found within a given stage was grater than the range of DNA concentrations.
The RNA-growth relationship d rived by Sutcliff (1965) does not agree with the relationship found in this work for A. salina. Neither the equation derived herein, nor the one derived by Sutcliffe (1965) accurately predicts the growth rate of E. japonica stages.
The relationship between RNA concentration and growth rate is of little use in predicting or determining secondary production because wide ranges of growth r tea were found associated with a single RNA concentration.