School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Sony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11790, USA.
Genes (Basel). 2022 Aug 25;13(9):1529. doi: 10.3390/genes13091529.
Ocean acidification (OA) is a major threat to marine calcifiers, and little is known regarding acclimation to OA in bivalves. This study combined physiological assays with next-generation sequencing to assess the potential for recovery from and acclimation to OA in the eastern oyster () and identify molecular mechanisms associated with resilience. In a reciprocal transplant experiment, larvae transplanted from elevated CO (1400 ppm) to ambient CO (350 ppm) demonstrated significantly lower mortality and larger size post-transplant than oysters remaining under elevated CO and had similar mortality compared to those remaining in ambient conditions. The recovery after transplantation to ambient conditions demonstrates the ability for larvae to rebound and suggests phenotypic plasticity and acclimation. Transcriptomic analysis supported this hypothesis as genes were differentially regulated under OA stress. Transcriptomic profiles of transplanted and non-transplanted larvae terminating in the same final CO converged, further supporting the idea that acclimation underlies resilience. The functions of differentially expressed genes included cell differentiation, development, biomineralization, ion exchange, and immunity. Results suggest acclimation as a mode of resilience to OA. In addition, the identification of genes associated with resilience can serve as a valuable resource for the aquaculture industry, as these could enable marker-assisted selection of OA-resilient stocks.
海洋酸化（OA）是海洋钙化生物的主要威胁，而关于双壳类动物对 OA 的适应能力知之甚少。本研究结合生理测定和下一代测序，评估了牡蛎从 OA 中恢复和适应的潜力，并确定了与弹性相关的分子机制。在一项互惠移植实验中，从高 CO（1400 ppm）移植到环境 CO（350 ppm）的幼虫在移植后死亡率明显较低，体型较大，而留在高 CO 下的幼虫死亡率与在环境条件下的幼虫相似。在移植到环境条件下的恢复表明幼虫有能力反弹，表明存在表型可塑性和适应。转录组分析支持了这一假设，因为 OA 应激下基因的表达存在差异。在相同最终 CO 下结束的移植和非移植幼虫的转录组谱趋同，进一步支持了适应是弹性基础的观点。差异表达基因的功能包括细胞分化、发育、生物矿化、离子交换和免疫。结果表明适应是对 OA 具有弹性的一种模式。此外，与弹性相关的基因的鉴定可以为水产养殖业提供有价值的资源，因为这些基因可以实现对 OA 抗性种群的标记辅助选择。
