Rate-compensated synaptic events in antarctic fish: Consequences of homeoviscous cold-adaptation

Summary At ambient sub-zero temperatures, muscles from antarctic fish produce spontaneous postsynaptic currents (MEPCs) of significantly shorter duration than those of temperate fishes. Fast decay of antarctic MEPCs is a predictable consequence of the increased membrane fluidity attributable to fatty acid unsaturation in cold-adapted animals.We wish to thank the Antarctic Division of the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the staff of Scott Base, without whom this work could not have been done. The work was supported financially by grants from the New Zealand University Grants Committee and from the Auckland University Research Committee. We are also grateful to members of the United States Antarctic Research Program, in particular Dr A. L. DeVries, for advice and assistance.