Thermal stress and predation risk trigger distinct transcriptomic responses in the intertidal snail Nucella lapillus

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Ecology
• Genomics

Background:

• Rocky shore organisms face significant environmental challenges from thermal stress and predation.
• Gene and protein expression changes, such as heat-shock protein upregulation, are known responses to thermal stress in intertidal species.
• Genetic responses to predation risk in these environments are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the transcriptomic (mRNA) response of the snail Nucella lapillus to both thermal stress and predation risk.
• To compare the genetic pathways affected by these two distinct environmental stressors.
• To understand the differential molecular mechanisms underlying responses to abiotic versus biotic challenges.

Main Methods:

• Utilized next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze mRNA expression profiles.
• Exposed Nucella lapillus snails to controlled conditions simulating thermal stress.
• Exposed Nucella lapillus snails to the presence of a crab predator (Carcinus maenas).

Main Results:

• Nucella lapillus exhibited a significant genetic response to thermal stress, characterized by the upregulation of heat-shock proteins and molecular chaperones.
• The presence of the crab predator Carcinus maenas induced minimal changes in gene expression.
• There was no significant overlap in gene expression profiles between the responses to thermal stress and predation risk.

Conclusions:

• Thermal stress and predation risk present distinct challenges to Nucella lapillus, potentially acting additively.
• Genetic responses to abiotic stresses like heat are more pronounced and uniform than responses to biotic stresses like predation.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the complex genetic mechanisms underlying responses to predation risk in marine invertebrates.