Ng Ho Yuen Andus. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-131). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter I --- Title page --- p.i / Chapter II --- Thesis committee --- p.ii / Chapter III --- Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Chapter IV --- Abstract --- p.v / Chapter V --- Abstract (Chinese version) --- p.vii / Chapter V --- Table of contents --- p.ix / Chapter VI --- List of abbreviations --- p.xv / Chapter VII --- List of figures --- p.xviii / General introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Literature review --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1. --- Heat shock proteins (HSPs) --- p.6 / Chapter 1.1.1. --- Introduction --- p.6 / Chapter 1.1.2. --- The various heat shock proteins --- p.8 / Chapter 1.1.2.1. --- HSP100s --- p.8 / Chapter 1.1.2.2. --- HSP90s --- p.9 / Chapter 1.1.2.3. --- HSP70s --- p.12 / Chapter 1.1.2.3.1. --- ATPase reaction cycle of HSP70 and protein folding --- p.13 / Chapter 1.1.2.3.2. --- Protein translocation --- p.14 / Chapter 1.1.2.3.3. --- Selective lysosomal proteolysis --- p.16 / Chapter 1.1.2.4. --- HSP60s --- p.16 / Chapter 1.1.2.5. --- Small HSPs --- p.17 / Chapter 1.1.2.6. --- Ubiquitin --- p.19 / Chapter 1.1.3. --- HSP studies in fish --- p.21 / Chapter 1.1.3.1. --- In vivo works --- p.21 / Chapter 1.1.3.2. --- In vitro works --- p.23 / Chapter 1.2. --- Growth hormone / prolactin family in teleostean fishes --- p.26 / Chapter 1.2.1. --- Introduction --- p.26 / Chapter 1.2.2. --- Growth hormone (GH; somatotropin) --- p.29 / Chapter 1.2.2.1. --- Structure --- p.29 / Chapter 1.2.2.2. --- Actions --- p.29 / Chapter 1.2.2.3. --- Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGFs; somatomedins) --- p.31 / Chapter 1.2.3. --- Prolactin (PRL) --- p.34 / Chapter 1.2.3.1. --- Structure --- p.34 / Chapter 1.2.3.2. --- Actions --- p.35 / Chapter 1.2.4. --- Somatolactin (SL) --- p.37 / Chapter 1.2.4.1. --- Structure --- p.37 / Chapter 1.2.4.2. --- Actions --- p.38 / Chapter 1.2.5. --- Growth hormone receptor (GH-R) and prolactin receptor (PRL-R) --- p.39 / Chapter 1.3. --- Cortisol in teleostean fishes --- p.41 / Chapter 1.4. --- Salinity adaptation in teleosts --- p.44 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Effect of in vitro thermal shock on HSP70 expression in whole blood of Sparus sarba --- p.46 / Chapter 2.1. --- Introduction --- p.47 / Chapter 2.2. --- Materials and methods --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.1. --- Overall experimental design --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- Experimental fish --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.3. --- Blood sampling and preparation --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.4. --- Thermal stress regimes --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.5. --- Protein extraction --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2.6. --- Protein quantification --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2.7. --- Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.8. --- Protein gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting (Western blotting) --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.9. --- Statistical analysis --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3. --- Results --- p.56 / Chapter 2.3.1. --- Validation of indirect ELISA --- p.56 / Chapter 2.3.2. --- Effect of in vitro thermal shock on HSP70 expression in whole blood of Sparus sarba --- p.56 / Chapter 2.4. --- Discussion --- p.60 / Chapter 2.5. --- Conclusion --- p.64 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Effects of hormones on HSP70 expression in whole blood of Sparus sarba in vitro --- p.65 / Chapter 3.1. --- Introduction --- p.66 / Chapter 3.2. --- Materials and methods --- p.68 / Chapter 3.2.1. --- Overall experimental design and experimental fish --- p.68 / Chapter 3.2.2. --- Hormone treatments --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2.3. --- "Protein extraction and quantification, indirect ELISA，gel electrophoresis, and immunoblotting (Western blotting)" --- p.70 / Chapter 3.2.4. --- Statistical analysis --- p.70 / Chapter 3.3. --- Results --- p.71 / Chapter 3.3.1. --- Effect of Cortisol on HSP70 levels in whole Blood --- p.71 / Chapter 3.3.2. --- Effect of recombinant bream growth hormone on HSP70 levels in whole blood --- p.71 / Chapter 3.3.3. --- Effect of recombinant bream insulin-like growth factor-I on HSP70 levels in whole blood --- p.71 / Chapter 3.3.4. --- Effect of ovine prolactin on HSP70 levels in whole blood --- p.72 / Chapter 3.4. --- Discussion --- p.81 / Chapter 3.4.1. --- Effect of Cortisol on HSP70 levels in whole Blood --- p.81 / Chapter 3.4.2. --- Effect of recombinant bream growth hormone on HSP70 levels in whole blood --- p.83 / Chapter 3.4.3. --- Effect of recombinant bream insulin-like growth factor-I on HSP70 levels in whole blood --- p.85 / Chapter 3.4.4. --- Effect of ovine prolactin on HSP70 levels in whole blood --- p.86 / Chapter 3.5. --- Conclusion --- p.88 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Effect on HSP70 expression in whole blood of Sparus sarba acclimated to various salinities --- p.89 / Chapter 4.1. --- Introduction --- p.90 / Chapter 4.2. --- Materials and methods --- p.92 / Chapter 4.2.1. --- Overall experimental design and experimental fish --- p.92 / Chapter 4.2.2. --- "Protein extraction and quantification, indirect ELISA, gel electrophoresis, and immunoblotting (Western blotting)" --- p.92 / Chapter 4.2.3. --- Statistical analysis --- p.93 / Chapter 4.3. --- Results --- p.94 / Chapter 4.4. --- Discussion --- p.97 / Chapter 4.5. --- Conclusion --- p.100 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- General discussion and conclusion --- p.101 / References --- p.105

Multiple dimensions of biodiversity within and across producer and consumer guilds in the food web affect an ecosystem’s functionality and stability. Tropical and subtropical aquatic ecosystems, which are extremely diverse, have received much less attention than terrestrial ecosystems in regards to the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. We conducted a field experiment that tested for effects of macrophyte functional diversity on diversity and stability of associated fish assemblages in floodplain lakes of the Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil. Three levels of macrophyte functional diversity were maintained through time in five floodplain lakes and response variables included various components of fish taxonomic and functional diversity and stability. Components of functional diversity of fish assemblages were quantified using a suite of ecomorphological traits that relate to foraging and habitat use. Response variables primarily distinguished macrophyte treatments from the control. Macrophyte treatments had, on average, double the number of species and total abundance than the control treatment, but only limited effects on stability. The high diversity treatment was essentially nested within the low diversity for assemblage structure and had similar or even slightly lower levels of species richness and abundance in most cases. Gymnotiformes and young-of-year were diverse and relatively abundant in macrophyte treatments contributing to the large differences in diversity between macrophyte and control treatments. Higher fish diversity in structured habitats compared to more homogenous habitats is likely associated with increased ecomorphological diversity to exploit heterogeneous microhabitats and resources provided by the macrophytes.