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Inducible stress tolerance in fish : the role of heat shock proteins Todgham, Anne Elizabeth
Abstract
Although there are a large number of studies on the role of heat shock proteins (Hsps) in stress tolerance, this literature consists mainly of studies conducted in the laboratory, making a comprehensive understanding of the ecological significance of Hsps in an animal's natural stress tolerance difficult to obtain. The rocky intertidal is an ideal environment in which to examine the physiological and biochemical responses of organisms to changing abiotic factors and to investigate mechanisms underlying an organism's ability to thrive in such a variable environment. My PhD thesis explores the role of environmental variation in modulating both the stress tolerance and the Hsp response of tidepool sculpins (Oligocottus maculosus). Stress tolerance in tidepool sculpins displayed a significant amount of plasticity that was sensitive to both short and longer-term changes in the thermal environment. A mild heat shock conferred a transient increase in tolerance to both subsequent osmotic and hypoxic stressors. Similarly, exposure to the daily fluctuations in environmental conditions inherent in living in the intertidal zone also imparted a certain degree of enhanced stress tolerance to sculpins. There was no endogenous diurnal rhythm in the Hsp response entrained to the tidal cycle in the tidepool sculpin; rather hsp gene expression was rapidly induced in response to routine fluctuations in environmental conditions. The Hsp response of sculpins was sensitive to slight differences in environmental temperature that occurred over differing temporal (different times during a month) and spatial (tidepool vs. subtidal) scales. Tidepool sculpins maintained a large and relatively constant standing pool of Hsc70 to cope with the daily variability of their natural environment, but had the capacity to rapidly regulate hsp expression when environmental conditions approach their tolerance thresholds. These results highlight the importance of an animal's thermal history in structuring it's Hsp response to natural environmental fluctuations and demonstrate that the variable intertidal environment is able to module Hsp levels at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Taken together, the research presented in this thesis provides novel ecological insights into the significance of Hsps in allowing organisms to cope with large and frequent fluctuations in their natural environment.
Item Metadata
Title |
Inducible stress tolerance in fish : the role of heat shock proteins
|
Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
Date Issued |
2005
|
Description |
Although there are a large number of studies on the role of heat shock proteins (Hsps) in
stress tolerance, this literature consists mainly of studies conducted in the laboratory, making a
comprehensive understanding of the ecological significance of Hsps in an animal's natural stress
tolerance difficult to obtain. The rocky intertidal is an ideal environment in which to examine
the physiological and biochemical responses of organisms to changing abiotic factors and to
investigate mechanisms underlying an organism's ability to thrive in such a variable
environment. My PhD thesis explores the role of environmental variation in modulating both the
stress tolerance and the Hsp response of tidepool sculpins (Oligocottus maculosus).
Stress tolerance in tidepool sculpins displayed a significant amount of plasticity that was
sensitive to both short and longer-term changes in the thermal environment. A mild heat shock
conferred a transient increase in tolerance to both subsequent osmotic and hypoxic stressors.
Similarly, exposure to the daily fluctuations in environmental conditions inherent in living in the
intertidal zone also imparted a certain degree of enhanced stress tolerance to sculpins. There was
no endogenous diurnal rhythm in the Hsp response entrained to the tidal cycle in the tidepool
sculpin; rather hsp gene expression was rapidly induced in response to routine fluctuations in
environmental conditions. The Hsp response of sculpins was sensitive to slight differences in
environmental temperature that occurred over differing temporal (different times during a
month) and spatial (tidepool vs. subtidal) scales. Tidepool sculpins maintained a large and
relatively constant standing pool of Hsc70 to cope with the daily variability of their natural
environment, but had the capacity to rapidly regulate hsp expression when environmental
conditions approach their tolerance thresholds.
These results highlight the importance of an animal's thermal history in structuring it's
Hsp response to natural environmental fluctuations and demonstrate that the variable intertidal environment is able to module Hsp levels at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional
levels. Taken together, the research presented in this thesis provides novel ecological insights
into the significance of Hsps in allowing organisms to cope with large and frequent fluctuations
in their natural environment.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-12-23
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
DOI |
10.14288/1.0092367
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2005-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.