The heat shock response in congeneric land snails (Sphincterochila) from different habitats

Land snails are subject to daily and seasonal variations in temperature and in water availability, and use heat shock proteins (HSPs) as part of their survival strategy. We used experimental heat stress to test whether adaptation to different habitats affects HSP expression in two closely related Sphincterochila snail species, a desert species, Sphincterochila zonata, and a Mediterranean-type species, Sphincterochila cariosa. Our findings show that in S. cariosa, heat stress caused rapid induction of Hsp70 proteins and Hsp90 in the foot and kidney tissues, whereas the desert-inhabiting species S. zonata displayed delayed induction of Hsp70 proteins in the foot and upregulation of Hsp90 alone in the kidney. Our study suggests that Sphincterochila species use HSPs as part of their survival strategy following heat stress and that adaptation to different habitats results in the development of distinct strategies of HSP expression in response to heat, namely the reduced induction of HSPs in the desert-dwelling species. We suggest that the desert species S. zonata relies on mechanisms and adaptations other than HSP induction, thus avoiding the fitness consequences of continuous HSP upregulation.