Kompensationsvermögen von Mytilus edulis gegenüber mechanischem Stress und erhöhtem pCO2 - kombinierte transkriptomische, proteomische und physiologische Analysen

The CO2 content of the atmosphere is increasing since the onset of the industrial revolution. As a result, CO2 is taken up by the oceans, which leads to decreases in seawater pH and carbonate ion concentration [CO32-]. As calcifying organisms use CO32- to construct their skeletons, they are suggested to be particularly impaired by ocean acidification. In this study, the basic molecular mechanisms underlying biomineralization of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis, and its acclimation potential towards elevated pCO2 in general and regarding biomineralization in particular were determined. For these experiments, a population from Kiel Fjord was used, which is already seasonally exposed to elevated pCO2 values that are predicted for the near future. First, separate transcriptomes were generated from the central and pallial/marginal mantle, the tissues responsible for biomineralization. For this purpose, animals that have been incubated for eight weeks at 500 µatm (control) and 3700 µatm pCO2 were used. Analyses revealed only minor global changes as a result of elevated pCO2.