Abstract

NIETO-VILELA, Rocío A.; MARQUEZ, Federico; BIGATTI, Gregorio  and  GIULIANELLI, Sebastián. Heat-shock response in Patagonian gastropods. Rev. Mus. Argent. Cienc. Nat. [online]. 2022, vol.24, n.2, pp.187-196. ISSN 1853-0400.  http://dx.doi.org/10.22179/revmacn.24.778.

The physiological process to counteract environmental stress are extremely diverse in marine species that inhabit intertidal zones. Ecological approaches have demonstrated a variety of adaptations among narrowly distributed species. The present study is focused on physiological responses of two key marine gastropods from Atlantic Patagonia living in one of the most stressful intertidal rocky shores of the world: Tegula patagonica and Trophon geversianus. We evaluated the body temperature and its heat-shock response by Hsp70 expression. Our results suggest that T. geversianus, inhabiting the mid-intertidal zone and exposed for longer to aerial conditions, presents better physiological and behavioral adaptations to temperature than T. patagonica, living in the low intertidal with less physical stress. Tegula patagonica seems to have an inefficient thermal defense, an inability to upregulate Hsp70 expression against water temperature increase. Contrariwise, a significant upregulation of Hsp70 was registered in T. geversianus added to a protective behavior of hiding during periods of high tempera ture. These results will be useful as a reference for monitoring sentinel species to assess real-time changes in coastal intertidal communities due to global warming.

Keywords : Thermal stress; Strategies; Rocky shores; Hsp70.

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