The effects of temperature on the decay phase of post-synaptic currents were examined to determine the extent of temperature
compensation in the inferior oblique extraocular muscles of four Antarctic fishes (
Trematomus bernacchii, Trematomus pennellii, Trematomus hansoni, and
Pagothenia borchgrevinki, Family Nototheniidae). At ambient temperatures, different fish produce miniature end plate currents (MEPCs), which vary
in duration and rate of decay. Low temperatures normally prolong MEPCs, however, Antarctic fishes were found to produce MEPCs
of significantly shorter duration than predicted (based on back-extrapolation of temperate fish data to sub-zero temperatures).
Notothenioid decay time constants were approximately 500 μs faster than their temperate counterparts, extrapolated to −2°C,
suggesting that the difference is consistent with temperature compensation in the neural-systems of Antarctic fish. Results
presented here conform the hypothesis that post-synaptic MEPCs of Antarctic fish exhibit temperature compensation, an adaptive
feature that has permitted the successful radiation throughout the Southern Ocean.
Keywords MEPC - Miniature end plate current - Teleost - Temperature compensation - Nototheniidae - Antarctic