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Servetto N, Ruiz MB, Martínez M, Harms L, de Aranzamendi MC, Alurralde G, Giménez D, Abele D, Held C, Sahade R. Molecular responses to ocean acidification in an Antarctic bivalve and an ascidian. Sci Total Environ 2023; 903:166577. [PMID: 37633374 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Southern Ocean organisms are considered particularly vulnerable to Ocean acidification (OA), as they inhabit cold waters where calcite-aragonite saturation states are naturally low. It is also generally assumed that OA would affect calcifying animals more than non-calcifying animals. In this context, we aimed to study the impact of reduced pH on both types of species: the ascidian Cnemidocarpa verrucosa sp. A, and the bivalve Aequiyoldia eightsii, from an Antarctic fjord. We used gene expression profiling and enzyme activity to study the responses of these two Antarctic benthic species to OA. We report the results of an experiment lasting 66 days, comparing the molecular mechanisms underlying responses under two pCO2 treatments (ambient and elevated pCO2). We observed 224 up-regulated and 111 down-regulated genes (FC ≥ 2; p-value ≤ 0.05) in the ascidian. In particular, the decrease in pH caused an upregulation of genes involved in the immune system and antioxidant response. While fewer differentially expressed (DE) genes were observed in the infaunal bivalve, 34 genes were up-regulated, and 69 genes were downregulated (FC ≥ 2; p-value ≤ 0.05) in response to OA. We found downregulated genes involved in the oxidoreductase pathway (such as glucose dehydrogenase and trimethyl lysine dioxygenase), while the heat shock protein 70 was up-regulated. This work addresses the effect of OA in two common, widely distributed Antarctic species, showing striking results. Our major finding highlights the impact of OA on the non-calcifying species, a result that differ from the general trend, which describes a higher impact on calcifying species. This calls for discussion of potential effects on non-calcifying species, such as ascidians, a diverse and abundant group that form extended three-dimensional clusters in shallow waters and shelf areas in the Southern Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Servetto
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Ecosistemas Marinos Polares (ECOMARES-IDEA), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares (ECOMARES), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - M B Ruiz
- Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen, 12 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany; Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - M Martínez
- Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - L Harms
- Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen, 12 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - M C de Aranzamendi
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Ecosistemas Marinos Polares (ECOMARES-IDEA), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares (ECOMARES), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina
| | - G Alurralde
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission HELCOM, Helsinki FI-00160, Finland
| | - D Giménez
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Ecosistemas Marinos Polares (ECOMARES-IDEA), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina
| | - D Abele
- Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen, 12 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - C Held
- Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen, 12 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - R Sahade
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Ecosistemas Marinos Polares (ECOMARES-IDEA), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares (ECOMARES), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC Córdoba, Argentina.
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Servetto N, de Aranzamendi MC, Bettencourt R, Held C, Abele D, Movilla J, González G, Bustos DM, Sahade R. Molecular mechanisms underlying responses of the Antarctic coral Malacobelemnon daytoni to ocean acidification. Mar Environ Res 2021; 170:105430. [PMID: 34340030 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Benthic organisms of the Southern Ocean are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification (OA), as they inhabit cold waters where calcite-aragonite saturation states are naturally low. OA most strongly affects animals with calcium carbonate skeletons or shells, such as corals and mollusks. We exposed the abundant cold-water coral Malacobelemnon daytoni from an Antarctic fjord to low pH seawater (LpH) (7.68 ± 0.17) to test its physiological responses to OA, at the level of gene expression (RT-PCR) and enzyme activity. Corals were exposed in short- (3 days) and long-term (54 days) experiments to two pCO2 conditions (ambient and elevated pCO2 equaling RCP 8.5, IPCC 2019, approximately 372.53 and 956.78 μatm, respectively). Of the eleven genes studied through RT-PCR, six were significantly upregulated compared with control in the short-term in the LpH condition, including the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70), Toll-like receptor (TLR), galaxin and ferritin. After long-term exposure to low pH conditions, RT-PCR analysis showed seven genes were upregulated. These include the mannose-binding C-Lectin and HSP90. Also, the expression of TLR and galaxin, among others, continued to be upregulated after long-term exposure to LpH. Expression of carbonic anhydrase (CA), a key enzyme involved in calcification, was also significantly upregulated after long-term exposure. Our results indicated that, after two months, M. daytoni is not acclimatized to this experimental LpH condition. Gene expression profiles revealed molecular impacts that were not evident at the enzyme activity level. Consequently, understanding the molecular mechanisms behind the physiological processes in the response of a coral to LpH is critical to understanding the ability of polar species to cope with future environmental changes. Approaches integrating molecular tools into Antarctic ecological and/or conservation research make an essential contribution given the current ongoing OA processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Servetto
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.,Cátedra de Ecología Marina, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - M C de Aranzamendi
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.,Cátedra de Ecología Marina, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - R Bettencourt
- OKEANOS Marine Research Center/Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Azores, 9900-862, Horta, Portugal
| | - C Held
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - D Abele
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - J Movilla
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Estación de Investigación Jaume Ferrer, La Mola s/n 07720, Menorca, Spain
| | - G González
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.,Cátedra de Ecología Marina, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - D M Bustos
- Laboratorio de Integración de Señales Celulares, Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza (IHEM CONICET-UNCUYO), and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UNCUYO), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - R Sahade
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.,Cátedra de Ecología Marina, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina.
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de Aranzamendi MC, Servetto N, Movilla J, Bettencourt R, Sahade R. Ocean acidification effects on the stress response in a calcifying antarctic coastal organism: The case of Nacella concinna ecotypes. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 166:112218. [PMID: 33721687 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) could become a serious threat for the Antarctic marine ecosystem over coming years, as the solubility of atmospheric CO2 and CaCO3 minerals increases at lower temperatures. We evaluated the effect of OA on the stress response of the limpet Nacella concinna by measuring gene expression levels. The experiment was performed with the two ecotypes (Littoral and Sublittoral) of the species during 54 days (IPCC, 2019 scenario RCP8.5; control, ~375 ppm; low-pH treatment, ~923 ppm). Exposure to low-pH treatment during 15 days triggered the down-regulation of two heat-shock protein genes (HSP70A, HSP70B) only in sublittoral individuals. Little variation in the relative expression values of all genes in both ecotypes was observed probably, due to a historical exposure to the substantial daily natural pH fluctuations recorded in the study area during the experiment. This study provides relevant baseline data for future OA experiments on coastal species in Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C de Aranzamendi
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 (X5000JJC), Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - N Servetto
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 (X5000JJC), Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - J Movilla
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Estación de Investigación Jaume Ferrer, La Mola s/n 07720 Menorca, Spain
| | - R Bettencourt
- OKEANOS Marine Research Center, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Azores, 9900-862 Horta, Portugal
| | - R Sahade
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 (X5000JJC), Córdoba, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Ecosistemas Marinos Polares, Córdoba, Argentina.
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