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Dinh KV, Albini D, Orr JA, Macaulay SJ, Rillig MC, Borgå K, Jackson MC. Winter is coming: Interactions of multiple stressors in winter and implications for the natural world. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6834-6845. [PMID: 37776127 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Winter is a key driver of ecological processes in freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in higher latitudes. Species have evolved various adaptive strategies to cope with food limitations and the cold and dark wintertime. However, human-induced climate change and other anthropogenic stressors are impacting organisms in winter in unpredictable ways. In this paper, we show that global change experiments investigating multiple stressors have predominantly been conducted during summer months. However, effects of anthropogenic stressors sometimes differ between winter and other seasons, necessitating comprehensive investigations. Here, we outline a framework for understanding the different effects of anthropogenic stressors in winter compared to other seasons and discuss the primary mechanisms that will alter ecological responses of organisms (microbes, animals and plants). For instance, while the magnitude of some anthropogenic stressors can be greater in winter than in other seasons (e.g. some pollutants), others may alleviate natural winter stress (e.g. warmer temperatures). These changes can have immediate, delayed or carry-over effects on organisms during winter or later seasons. Interactions between stressors may also vary with season. We call for a renewed research direction focusing on multiple stressor effects on winter ecology and evolution to fully understand, and predict, how ecosystems will fare under changing winters. We also argue the importance of incorporating the interactions of anthropogenic stressors with winter into ecological risk assessments, management and conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khuong V Dinh
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dania Albini
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - James A Orr
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Matthias C Rillig
- Plant Ecology, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg-Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Yokum EE, Wascher M, Goldstein DL, Krane CM. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles in freeze-tolerant treefrogs: novel interindividual variation of integrative biochemical, cellular, and organismal responses. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2023; 324:R196-R206. [PMID: 36534587 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00211.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The freeze-tolerant anuran Dryophytes chrysoscelis, Cope's gray treefrog, mobilizes a complex cryoprotectant system that includes glycerol, glucose, and urea to minimize damage induced by freezing and thawing of up to 65% of body water. In this species' eastern Northern American temperate habitat, oscillations of temperature above and below freezing are common; however, the effects of repeated freezing and thawing in this species are unstudied. The biochemical and physiological effects of repeated freeze-thaw cycles were therefore evaluated and compared with cold acclimation and single freeze-thaw episodes. Glycerol was elevated in plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle of both singly and repeatedly frozen and thawed animals compared with cold-acclimated frogs. In contrast, urea was unchanged by freezing and thawing, whereas glucose was elevated in singly frozen and thawed animals but was reduced toward cold acclimation levels after repeated bouts of freezing. Overall, the cryoprotectant system was maintained, but not further elevated, in all tissues assayed in repeatedly frozen and thawed animals. For repeated freeze-thaw only, hepatic glycogen was depleted and plasma hemoglobin, indicative of erythrocyte hemolysis, increased. Postfreeze recovery of locomotor function, including limb and whole body movement, was delayed with repeated freeze-thaw and was associated with glycerol accumulation and glycogen depletion. Individuals that resumed locomotor function more quickly also accumulated greater cryoinjury. Integrated analyses of cryoprotectant and cryoinjury accumulation suggest that winter survival of D. chrysoscelis may be vulnerable to climate change, limited by carbohydrate stores, cellular repair mechanisms, and plasticity of the cryoprotectant system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Wascher
- Department of Mathematics, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
| | - David L Goldstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
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Holmstrup M, Sørensen JG, Dai W, Krogh PH, Schmelz RM, Slotsbo S. Analysis of heat and cold tolerance of a freeze-tolerant soil invertebrate distributed from temperate to Arctic regions: evidence of selection for extreme cold tolerance. J Comp Physiol B 2022; 192:435-445. [PMID: 35312816 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01433-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Tolerance to thermal extremes is critical for the geographic distributions of ectotherm species, many of which are probably going to be modified by future climatic changes. To predict species distributions it is important to understand the potential of species to adapt to changing thermal conditions. Here, we tested whether the thermal tolerance traits of a common freeze-tolerant potworm were correlated with climatic conditions and if adaptation to extreme cold constrains the evolutionary potential for high temperature tolerance. Further, we tested if evolution of thermal tolerance traits is associated with costs in other fitness traits (body size and reproduction). Lastly, we tested if slopes of temperature-survival curves (i.e., the sensitivity distribution) are related to tolerance itself. Using 24 populations of the potworm, Enchytraeus albidus Henle (Enchytraeidae), collected from a wide range of climatic conditions, we established a common garden experiment in which we determined high and low temperature tolerance (using survival as endpoint), average reproductive output and adult body size. Heat tolerance was not related to environmental temperatures whereas lower lethal temperature was about 10 °C lower in Arctic populations than in populations from temperate regions. Reproduction was not related to environmental temperature, but was negatively correlated with cold tolerance. One explanation for the trade-off between cold tolerance and reproduction could be that the more cold-hardy populations need to channel energy to large glycogen reserves at the expense of less energy expenditure for reproduction. Adult body size was negatively related to environmental temperature. Finally, the slopes of temperature-survival curves were significantly correlated with critical temperature limits for heat and cold tolerance; i.e., slopes increased with thermal tolerance. Our results suggest that relatively heat-sensitive populations possess genetic variation, leaving room for improved heat tolerance through evolutionary processes, which may alleviate the effects of a warmer future climate in the Arctic. On the other hand, we observed relatively narrow sensitivity distributions (i.e., less variation) in the most heat tolerant populations. Taken together, our results suggest that both cold and heat tolerance can only be selected for (and improved) until a certain limit has been reached.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Holmstrup
- Department of Ecoscience, Section of Terrestrial Ecology, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark.
| | - Jesper G Sørensen
- Department of Biology, Section of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, Building 1540, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Wencai Dai
- Department of Ecoscience, Section of Terrestrial Ecology, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Paul Henning Krogh
- Department of Ecoscience, Section of Terrestrial Ecology, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Rüdiger M Schmelz
- IFAB, Institute for Applied Soil Biology, Tomberg 24a, 22337, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stine Slotsbo
- Department of Ecoscience, Section of Terrestrial Ecology, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
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Žagar A, Holmstrup M, Simčič T, Debeljak B, Slotsbo S. Comparing Enchytraeus albidus populations from contrasting climatic environments suggest a link between cold tolerance and metabolic activity. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2018; 224:35-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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de Boer TE, Roelofs D, Vooijs R, Holmstrup M, Amorim MJB. Population-specific transcriptional differences associated with freeze tolerance in a terrestrial worm. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3774-3786. [PMID: 29686857 PMCID: PMC5901168 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Enchytraeus albidus is a terrestrial earthworm widespread along the coasts of northern Europe and the Arctic. This species tolerates freezing of body fluids and survives winters in a frozen state. Their acclimatory physiological mechanisms behind freeze tolerance involve increased fluidity of membrane lipids during cold exposure and accumulation of cryoprotectants (glucose) during the freezing process. Gene regulatory processes of these physiological responses have not been studied, partly because no gene expression tools were developed. The main aim of this study was to understand whether the freeze tolerance mechanisms have a transcriptomic basis in E. albidus. For that purpose, first the transcriptome of E. albidus was assembled with RNAseq data. Second, two strains from contrasting thermal environments (Germany and Greenland) were compared by mapping barcoded RNAseq data onto the assembled transcriptome. Both of these strains are freeze tolerant, but Greenland is extremely freeze tolerant. Results showed more plastic responses in the Greenland strain as well as higher constitutive expression of particular stress response genes. These altered transcriptional networks are associated with an adapted homeostasis coping with prolonged freezing conditions in Greenland animals. Previously identified physiological alterations in freeze‐tolerant strains of E. albidus are underpinned at the transcriptome level. These processes involve anion transport in the hemolymph, fatty acid metabolism, metabolism, and transport of cryoprotective sugars as well as protection against oxidative stress. Pathway analysis supported most of these processes, and identified additional differentially expressed pathways such as peroxisome and Toll‐like receptor signaling. We propose that the freeze‐tolerant phenotype is the consequence of genetic adaptation to cold stress and may have driven evolutionary divergence of the two strains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dick Roelofs
- Department of Ecological Science Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences VU University, Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Riet Vooijs
- Department of Ecological Science Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences VU University, Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | | | - Mónica J B Amorim
- Department of Biology and CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies) University of Aveiro Aveiro Portugal
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Patrício-Silva AL, Amorim MJB. Effect of freeze-thaw cycles and 4-nonylphenol on cellular energy allocation in the freeze-tolerant enchytraeid Enchytraeus albidus. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:3548-3555. [PMID: 26490934 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5593-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Due to climate change and intense anthropogenic activity, organisms from cold regions are often exposed to combined effects of temperature fluctuations and contaminants. In this investigation, we assessed the lipid, protein, and carbohydrate energy budgets; the energy available (Ea); consumed (Ec); and cellular energy allocation (CEA) of the freeze-tolerant Enchytraeus albidus, when exposed to sublethal concentrations of 4-nonylphenol (a lipophilic contaminant) for 7 days, followed by exposure to different temperature regimes (continuous 2 °C, continuous -4 °C, and daily freeze-thaw cycles (FTC) (2 to -4 °C) for additional 10 days. Results showed that a pre-exposure to 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) induced important changes in the worms' energy budgets and CEA and increased mortality with most severe effects observed for the FTC events. For FTC, lipids were the most accumulated energy source, whereas during freezing (-4 °C), proteins were the most used. FTC caused the highest Ec, indicating the higher energy requirements for organisms when shifting between freezing and thawing events. This is also in line with the higher mortality observed in FTC compared to continuous -4 °C or 2 °C. Worms exposed to continuous freezing presented relatively stable and positive levels of Ea and low levels of Ec, possibly related with the decrease in metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Patrício-Silva
- Department of Biology & CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Mónica J B Amorim
- Department of Biology & CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
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Fisker KV, Bouvrais H, Overgaard J, Schöttner K, Ipsen JH, Holmstrup M. Membrane properties of Enchytraeus albidus originating from contrasting environments: a comparative analysis. J Comp Physiol B 2015; 185:389-400. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-015-0895-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Revised: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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