Adaptation and stress defence in intertidal and subtidal Antarctic limpets (Nacella concinna):A study of the plasticity of molecular and biochemical stress response in Antarctic invertebrates
Veröffentlichungsdatum
2010-01-19
Autoren
Betreuer
Gutachter
Zusammenfassung
In the summer months, a subpopulation of the Antarctic limpet Nacella concinna migrates into the intertidal zone, which becomes increasingly ice-free and expands by glacier retreat due to global warming. Animals inhabiting intertidal zones are air exposed twice a day during low tide while sub-littoral animals are always covered by water. Intertidal and permanently sub-littoral N. concinna can easily be distinguished by their shell morphology. To test whether these morphological differences are accompanied by a physiological adaptation to the intertidal environment, I investigated the biochemical and molecular response of both limpet subpopulations to air exposure and hypoxia, a possible result of desiccation, if the limpets clamp down their shell to the substratum to avoid water loss. The results obtained within my thesis clearly indicate a physiological and molecular adaptation of the intertidal N. concinna to desiccation stress which the sub-littoral limpets do not show. These adaptations enable the limpets to survive in this extreme environment and will potentially allow the repopulation of emerging areas due to glacier retreat.
Schlagwörter
Antarctic limpets
;
invertebrates
;
physiology
;
molecular biology
;
biochemistry
;
shell morphology
;
oxidative stress
;
water loss
;
hypoxia
;
air exposure
;
hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)
;
marine biology
Institution
Fachbereich
Dokumenttyp
Dissertation
Zweitveröffentlichung
Nein
Sprache
Englisch
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Format
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