Transcriptomic profiling of adaptive responses to ocean acidification

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Genomics
• Climate Change Adaptation

Background:

• Marine organisms face environmental stress from climate change.
• Sydney rock oysters (B2 breeding line) display physiological resilience to ocean acidification (OA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the resilience of B2 Sydney rock oysters to OA.
• To understand the role of gene expression in transgenerational adaptation to changing ocean conditions.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptome analysis of B2 oyster gills exposed to projected ocean pH across two generations.
• High-throughput quantitative PCR (qPCR) to validate specific gene expression changes.

Main Results:

• B2 oysters exhibit selective gene expression in cellular processes, including cell cycle control and homeostasis, contributing to OA resilience.
• Specific transcriptional changes in B2 oysters, not observed in wild-type, are linked to OA resilience.
• Transgenerational conditioning reveals distinct gene expression trajectories in B2 versus wild-type oysters under OA stress.

Conclusions:

• The resilience of B2 oysters to OA is mediated by broad molecular processes, including cell cycle regulation and homeostasis maintenance.
• These molecular adaptations may prevent or mitigate apoptosis caused by oxidative stress.
• Findings highlight the potential for transgenerational conditioning to confer stress resilience in marine calcifiers facing a changing ocean.