Molecular adaptations to heat stress in the thermophilic ant genus Cataglyphis

Over the last decade, increasing attention has been paid to the molecular adaptations used by organisms to cope with thermal stress. However, to date, few studies have focused on thermophilic species living in hot, arid climates. In this study, we explored molecular adaptations to heat stress in the thermophilic ant genus Cataglyphis, one of the world’s most thermotolerant animal taxa. We compared heat tolerance and gene expression patterns across six phylogenetically distant species that live in different habitats and experience different thermal regimes. We found that all six species had similar heat tolerance levels and critical thermal maxima. Furthermore, the transcriptome analyses revealed that, although the number of differentially expressed genes varied widely for the 6 species (from 54 to 1,118), many were also shared. Functional annotation of the differentially expressed and co-expressed genes then showed that the biological pathways involved in heat-shock responses were similar among species and were associated with four major processes: the regulation of transcriptional machinery and DNA metabolism; the preservation of proteome stability; the elimination of toxic residues; and the maintenance of cellular integrity. Overall, our results suggest that molecular responses to heat stress have been evolutionarily conserved in the ant genus Cataglyphis and that their versatility may help workers withstand temperatures close to their physiological limits.

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Expression Profiling of Heat Shock Protein Genes as Putative Early Heat-Responsive Members in Lettuce

Horticulturae ◽

10.3390/horticulturae7090312 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (9) ◽

pp. 312

Author(s):

Yeeun Kang ◽

Suk-Woo Jang ◽

Hee Ju Lee ◽

Derek W. Barchenger ◽

Seonghoe Jang

Keyword(s):

Heat Treatment ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Heat Shock ◽

Heat Shock Protein ◽

Differentially Expressed Genes ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Cool Season ◽

Potential Link ◽

Hsp Genes

High temperatures due to global warming can cause harmful effects on the productivity of lettuce, a cool-season crop. To identify lettuce heat shock protein (HSP) genes that could be involved in early responses to heat stress in plants, we compared RNA transcriptomes between lettuce plants with and without heat treatment of 37 °C for 1 h. Using transcriptome sequencing analyses, a total of 7986 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified including the top five, LsHSP70A, LsHSP70B, LsHSP17.3A, LsHSP17.9A and LsHSP17.9B, which were the most highly differentially expressed genes. In order to investigate the temporal expression patterns of 24 lettuce HSP genes with a fold-change greater than 100 under heat stress, the expression levels of the genes were measured by qRT-PCR at 0, 1, 4, 8, 14, and 24 h time points after heat treatment. The 24 LsHSP genes were classified into three groups based on the phylogenetic analysis and/or major domains available in each protein, and we provided a potential link between the phylogenetic relationships and expression patterns of the LsHSP genes. Our results showed putative early heat-responsive lettuce HSP genes that could be possible candidates as breeding guides for the development of heat-tolerant lettuce cultivars.

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Transcriptomic Analysis Provides Novel Insights into Heat Stress Responses in Sheep

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9060387 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 387 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Zengkui Lu ◽

Mingxing Chu ◽

Qing Li ◽

Meilin Jin ◽

Xiaojuan Fei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Differentially Expressed Genes ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Large Scale ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Transcriptomic Analysis ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

P Value ◽

Comprehensive Overview

With the intensified and large-scale development of sheep husbandry and global warming, sheep heat stress has become an increasingly important issue. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms related to sheep responses to heat stress. In this study, transcriptomic analysis of liver tissues of sheep in the presence and absence of heat stress was conducted, with the goal of identifying genes and pathways related to regulation when under such stress. After a comparison with the sheep reference genome, 440,226,436 clean reads were obtained from eight libraries. A p-value ≤ 0.05 and fold change ≥ 2 were taken as thresholds for categorizing differentially expressed genes, of which 1137 were identified. The accuracy and reliability of the RNA-Seq results were confirmed by qRT-PCR. The identified differentially expressed genes were significantly associated with 419 GO terms and 51 KEGG pathways, which suggested their participation in biological processes such as response to stress, immunoreaction, and fat metabolism. This study’s results provide a comprehensive overview of sheep heat stress-induced transcriptional expression patterns, laying a foundation for further analysis of the molecular mechanisms of sheep heat stress.

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Comparative Analysis of miRNA Expression Profiles between Heat-Tolerant and Heat-Sensitive Genotypes of Flowering Chinese Cabbage Under Heat Stress Using High-Throughput Sequencing

Genes ◽

10.3390/genes11030264 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 264 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Waqas Ahmed ◽

Ronghua Li ◽

Yanshi Xia ◽

Guihua Bai ◽

Kadambot H. M. Siddique ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Heat Tolerance ◽

Chinese Cabbage ◽

Target Genes ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Transcriptional Level ◽

Flowering Chinese Cabbage ◽

Heat Tolerant

Heat stress disturbs cellular homeostasis, thus usually impairs yield of flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. utilis Tsen et Lee). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in plant responses to different stresses by modulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. However, the roles that miRNAs and their target genes may play in heat tolerance of flowering Chinese cabbage remain poorly characterized. The current study sequenced six small RNA libraries generated from leaf tissues of flowering Chinese cabbage collected at 0, 6, and 12 h after 38 °C heat treatment, and identified 49 putative novel miRNAs and 43 known miRNAs that differentially expressed between heat-tolerant and heat-sensitive flowering Chinese cabbage. Among them, 14 novel and nine known miRNAs differentially expressed only in the heat-tolerant genotype under heat-stress, therefore, their target genes including disease resistance protein TAO1-like, RPS6, reticuline oxidase-like protein, etc. might play important roles in enhancing heat-tolerance. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that targets of these differentially expressed miRNAs may play key roles in responses to temperature stimulus, cell part, cellular process, cell, membrane, biological regulation, binding, and catalytic activities. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis identified their important functions in signal transduction, environmental adaptation, global and overview maps, as well as in stress adaptation and in MAPK signaling pathways such as cell death. These findings provide insight into the functions of the miRNAs in heat stress tolerance of flowering Chinese cabbage.

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Transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of II YOU 838 (Oryza sativa) provide insights into heat stress tolerance in hybrid rice

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.8306 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e8306 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yan Wang ◽

Yang Yu ◽

Min Huang ◽

Peng Gao ◽

Hao Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Heat Shock ◽

Heat Tolerance ◽

Proteomic Analysis ◽

Hybrid Rice ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽

Transcription Activator ◽

Antioxidant Defense Systems

Heat stress is an increasing threat to rice production worldwide. To investigate the mechanisms of heat tolerance in hybrid rice and their contributions to rice heterosis, we compared the transcriptome of the hybrid rice II YOU 838 (II8) with the transcriptomes of its parents Fu Hui 838 (F8) and II-32A (II3) after heat stress at 42 °C for 0 h, 24 h, 72 h and 120 h. We also performed a proteomic analysis in II8 after heat stress at 42 °C for 24 h. The transcriptome data revealed time-dependent gene expression patterns under the heat stress conditions, and the heat stress response of II8 was greatly different from those of its parents. Gene ontology analysis of the differentially expressed genes that were clustered using k-means clustering showed that most of the up-regulated genes were involved in responses to stimuli, cell communication, and metabolic and transcription factor activities, whereas the down-regulated genes were enriched in photosynthesis and signal transduction. Moreover, 35 unique differentially abundant proteins, including a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor (bHLH96), calmodulin-binding transcription activator, heat shock protein (Hsp70), and chaperonin 60 (CPN60), were detected in the proteomic analysis of II8 under heat stress. The co-regulatory analysis revealed novel genes and pathways involved in heat tolerance, namely, ferredoxin-NADP reductase, peroxidases, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase, and heat shock factor (HSF)–Hsp network. Members of the Hsp and HSF families had over-dominant expression patterns in the hybrid compared with its parents, to help maintain the higher photosynthesis and antioxidant defense systems in the hybrid. Our study suggests that the complex HSF–Hsp regulatory network contribute to the heat tolerance of the hybrid rice.

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Gene and Metabolite Integration Analysis through Transcriptome and Metabolome Brings New Insight into Heat Stress Tolerance in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10010103 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 103

Author(s):

Bailin Liu ◽

Lingshuang Kong ◽

Yu Zhang ◽

Yuncheng Liao

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Heat Tolerance ◽

Elevated Temperatures ◽

Solanum Tuberosum L ◽

Heat Exposure ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Heat Response ◽

Negative Ionization ◽

Stress Related Genes ◽

Prolonged Heat

Potatoes are particularly vulnerable to elevated temperatures, with short heat stress (6 h) inducing stomatal opening and reducing membrane stability and prolonged heat stress (3-day) decreasing the photosynthetic capacity of potato leaves. The integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics methods demonstrated that 448 heat upregulated and 918 heat downregulated genes and 325 and 219 compounds in the positive and negative ionization modes, respectively, were up- or downregulated in leaves in response to short and prolonged heat stress. Differentially expressed genes enriched in photosynthesis, cell wall degradation, heat response, RNA processing, and protein degradation were highly induced during heat exposure, and differentially expressed metabolites involved in amino acid biosynthesis and secondary metabolism were mostly induced during heat exposure, suggesting a possible role of these genes and metabolites in the heat tolerance of the potato. Metabolite and transcript abundances for the upregulation of flavone and flavonol biosynthesis under prolonged heat stress were closely correlated. Heat-induced gene expression in Arabidopsisthaliana shoots and potato leaves overlapped, and heat stress-responsive genes overlapped with drought stress-related genes in potato. The transient expression of four heat-induced genes in Nicotiana benthamiana exhibited increased heat tolerance. This study provides a new transcriptome and metabolic profile of the potato’s response to heat.

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Insights into the heat-responsive transcriptional network of tomato contrasting genotypes

Plant Genetic Resources ◽

10.1017/s1479262121000083 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 44-57

Author(s):

Sirine Werghi ◽

Charfeddine Gharsallah ◽

Nishi Kant Bhardwaj ◽

Hatem Fakhfakh ◽

Faten Gorsane

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Heat Shock ◽

Candidate Genes ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Response Strategies ◽

Transcriptional Reprogramming ◽

Genes Encoding ◽

Breeding Programmes ◽

Gene Transcripts ◽

Resource Data

AbstractDuring recent decades, global warming has intensified, altering crop growth, development and survival. To overcome changes in their environment, plants undergo transcriptional reprogramming to activate stress response strategies/pathways. To evaluate the genetic bases of the response to heat stress, Conserved DNA-derived Polymorphism (CDDP) markers were applied across tomato genome of eight cultivars. Despite scattered genotypes, cluster analysis allowed two neighbouring panels to be discriminate. Tomato CDDP-genotypic and visual phenotypic assortment permitted the selection of two contrasting heat-tolerant and heat-sensitive cultivars. Further analysis explored differential expression in transcript levels of genes, encoding heat shock transcription factors (HSFs, HsfA1, HsfA2, HsfB1), members of the heat shock protein (HSP) family (HSP101, HSP17, HSP90) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzymes (APX1, APX2). Based on discriminating CDDP-markers, a protein functional network was built allowing prediction of candidate genes and their regulating miRNA. Expression patterns analysis revealed that miR156d and miR397 were heat-responsive showing a typical inverse relation with the abundance of their target gene transcripts. Heat stress is inducing a set of candidate genes, whose expression seems to be modulated through a complex regulatory network. Integrating genetic resource data is required for identifying valuable tomato genotypes that can be considered in marker-assisted breeding programmes to improve tomato heat tolerance.

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Genotype-by-environment interaction in Holstein heifer fertility traits using single-step genomic reaction norm models

BMC Genomics ◽

10.1186/s12864-021-07496-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rui Shi ◽

Luiz Fernando Brito ◽

Aoxing Liu ◽

Hanpeng Luo ◽

Ziwei Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Dairy Cattle ◽

Candidate Genes ◽

Heat Tolerance ◽

Reaction Norm ◽

Single Step ◽

Conception Rate ◽

Critical Periods ◽

Genotype By Environment ◽

Fertility Traits

Abstract Background The effect of heat stress on livestock production is a worldwide issue. Animal performance is influenced by exposure to harsh environmental conditions potentially causing genotype-by-environment interactions (G × E), especially in highproducing animals. In this context, the main objectives of this study were to (1) detect the time periods in which heifer fertility traits are more sensitive to the exposure to high environmental temperature and/or humidity, (2) investigate G × E due to heat stress in heifer fertility traits, and, (3) identify genomic regions associated with heifer fertility and heat tolerance in Holstein cattle. Results Phenotypic records for three heifer fertility traits (i.e., age at first calving, interval from first to last service, and conception rate at the first service) were collected, from 2005 to 2018, for 56,998 Holstein heifers raised in 15 herds in the Beijing area (China). By integrating environmental data, including hourly air temperature and relative humidity, the critical periods in which the heifers are more sensitive to heat stress were located in more than 30 days before the first service for age at first calving and interval from first to last service, or 10 days before and less than 60 days after the first service for conception rate. Using reaction norm models, significant G × E was detected for all three traits regarding both environmental gradients, proportion of days exceeding heat threshold, and minimum temperature-humidity index. Through single-step genome-wide association studies, PLAG1, AMHR2, SP1, KRT8, KRT18, MLH1, and EOMES were suggested as candidate genes for heifer fertility. The genes HCRTR1, AGRP, PC, and GUCY1B1 are strong candidates for association with heat tolerance. Conclusions The critical periods in which the reproductive performance of heifers is more sensitive to heat stress are trait-dependent. Thus, detailed analysis should be conducted to determine this particular period for other fertility traits. The considerable magnitude of G × E and sire re-ranking indicates the necessity to consider G × E in dairy cattle breeding schemes. This will enable selection of more heat-tolerant animals with high reproductive efficiency under harsh climatic conditions. Lastly, the candidate genes identified to be linked with response to heat stress provide a better understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of heat tolerance in dairy cattle.

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Differential Morpho-Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses to Heat Stress in Two Blueberry Species

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22052481 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 2481

Author(s):

Jodi Callwood ◽

Kalpalatha Melmaiee ◽

Krishnanand P. Kulkarni ◽

Amaranatha R. Vennapusa ◽

Diarra Aicha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Stomatal Closure ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Leaf Size ◽

Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Transcriptomic Changes ◽

Go Terms

Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are highly vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, especially increasing temperatures. To gain insight into mechanisms underpinning the response to heat stress, two blueberry species were subjected to heat stress for 6 and 9 h at 45 °C, and leaf samples were used to study the morpho-physiological and transcriptomic changes. As compared with Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium darrowii exhibited thermal stress adaptation features such as small leaf size, parallel leaf orientation, waxy leaf coating, increased stomatal surface area, and stomatal closure. RNAseq analysis yielded ~135 million reads and identified 8305 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during heat stress against the control samples. In V. corymbosum, 2861 and 4565 genes were differentially expressed at 6 and 9 h of heat stress, whereas in V. darrowii, 2516 and 3072 DEGs were differentially expressed at 6 and 9 h, respectively. Among the pathways, the protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was the highly enriched pathway in both the species: however, certain metabolic, fatty acid, photosynthesis-related, peroxisomal, and circadian rhythm pathways were enriched differently among the species. KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEGs revealed important biosynthesis and metabolic pathways crucial in response to heat stress. The GO terms enriched in both the species under heat stress were similar, but more DEGs were enriched for GO terms in V. darrowii than the V. corymbosum. Together, these results elucidate the differential response of morpho-physiological and molecular mechanisms used by both the blueberry species under heat stress, and help in understanding the complex mechanisms involved in heat stress tolerance.

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Identification and Roles of miR-29b-1-3p and miR29a-3p-Regulated and Non-Regulated lncRNAs in Endocrine-Sensitive and Resistant Breast Cancer Cells

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13143530 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 3530

Author(s):

Penn Muluhngwi ◽

Carolyn M. Klinge

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Survival ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Endocrine Resistance ◽

Estrogen Receptor Α ◽

Resistant Cell ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Primary Tumors ◽

Non Coding Rnas ◽

Mcf 7

Despite improvements in the treatment of endocrine-resistant metastatic disease using combination therapies in patients with estrogen receptor α (ERα) primary tumors, the mechanisms underlying endocrine resistance remain to be elucidated. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNA) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA), are targets and regulators of cell signaling pathways and their exosomal transport may contribute to metastasis. Previous studies have shown that a low expression of miR-29a-3p and miR-29b-3p is associated with lower overall breast cancer survival before 150 mos. Transient, modest overexpression of miR-29b1-3p or miR-29a-3p inhibited MCF-7 tamoxifen-sensitive and LCC9 tamoxifen-resistant cell proliferation. Here, we identify miR-29b-1/a-regulated and non-regulated differentially expressed lncRNAs in MCF-7 and LCC9 cells using next-generation RNA seq. More lncRNAs were miR-29b-1/a-regulated in LCC9 cells than in MCF-7 cells, including DANCR, GAS5, DSCAM-AS1, SNHG5, and CRND. We examined the roles of miR-29-regulated and differentially expressed lncRNAs in endocrine-resistant breast cancer, including putative and proven targets and expression patterns in survival analysis using the KM Plotter and TCGA databases. This study provides new insights into lncRNAs in endocrine-resistant breast cancer.

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An ER–Golgi Tethering Factor SLOH4/MIP3 Is Involved in Long-term Heat Tolerance of Arabidopsis

Plant and Cell Physiology ◽

10.1093/pcp/pcaa157 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kazuho Isono ◽

Ryo Tsukimoto ◽

Satoshi Iuchi ◽

Akihisa Shinozawa ◽

Izumi Yotsui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Heat Tolerance ◽

Secretory Proteins ◽

Wild Type ◽

Additional Function ◽

Transcript Levels ◽

Unfolded Protein ◽

In The Wild ◽

Protein Response

Abstract Plants are often exposed not only to short-term (S-) heat stress but also to diurnal long-term (L-) heat stress over several consecutive days. To reveal the mechanisms underlying L-heat stress tolerance, we here used a forward genetic screening for sensitive to long-term heat (sloh) mutants and isolated sloh4. The mutant was hypersensitive to L- but not S-heat stress. The causal gene of sloh4 was identical to MIP3 encoding a member of the MAIGO2 (MAG2) tethering complex, which is composed of the MAG2, MIP1, MIP2, and MIP3 subunits and is localized at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Although sloh4/mip3 was hypersensitive to L-heat stress, the sensitivity of the mag2-3 and mip1–1 mutants was similar to that of the wild type. Under L-heat stress, the ER stress and the following unfolded protein response (UPR) were more pronounced in sloh4 than in the wild type. Transcript levels of bZIP60-regulated UPR genes were strongly increased in sloh4 under L-heat stress. Two processes known to be mediated by INOSITOL REQUIRING ENZYME1 (IRE1)—accumulation of the spliced bZIP60 transcript and a decrease in the transcript levels of PR4 and PRX34, encoding secretory proteins—were observed in sloh4 in response to L-heat stress. These findings suggest that misfolded proteins generated in sloh4 under L-heat stress may be recognized by IRE1 but not bZIP28, resulting in initiation of the UPR via activated bZIP60. Therefore, it would be possible that only MIP3 in MAG2 complex has an additional function in L-heat tolerance, which is not related to the ER–Golgi vesicle tethering.

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