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Updated: Apr 13, 2026
Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis
Published on: August 12, 2019
Genome-wide identification and functional validation of thermal tolerance genes in Mytilus coruscus using a
Chao Li1, Heng Zhou1, Siying Lv2
1National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China.
Abstract:
Global ocean warming threatens marine bivalves by disrupting physiological balance and reducing heat tolerance. Mytilus coruscus is highly sensitive to elevated temperatures, but the molecular mechanisms of its thermotolerance are still poorly understood. In this study, mussels were exposed to graded heat stress to evaluate oxidative responses and tissue-specific gene expression patterns. Heat stress induced the expression of oxidative stress-related genes and activated antioxidant defense and heat shock protein pathways in a temperature-dependent manner. A heat-stress cDNA library was subsequently constructed and functionally screened using a yeast heterologous expression system, resulting in the identification of 716 candidate thermotolerance genes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are involved in multiple biological processes and significantly enhance yeast survival under heat stress. Integration with transcriptomic data further identified 235 upregulated genes that likely represent the core thermotolerance gene set in M. coruscus, mainly enriched in biological processes such as response to heat, protein stability, and cellular catabolic processes. Among these core genes, the most highly expressed genes predominantly encoded heat shock proteins, including heat shock protein 70, heat shock protein 90, and small heat shock proteins. In addition, 327 downregulated genes were classified as non-core thermotolerance-related genes, which were mainly associated with biological processes such as stem cell division, regulation of response to stimulus, and animal organ regeneration. Protein-protein interaction analysis further revealed potential cooperative regulatory relationships between heat shock transcription factor and several core thermotolerance proteins. Collectively, these findings offer new insights into M. coruscus thermotolerance and provide genetic resources for heat-resilient breeding.
