Metabolic recovery and compensatory shell growth of juvenile Pacific geoduck Panopea generosa following short-term exposure to acidified seawater

While acute stressors can be detrimental, environmental stress conditioning can improve performance. To test the hypothesis that physiological status is altered by stress conditioning, we subjected juvenile Pacific geoduck, Panopea generosa, to repeated exposures of elevated pCO2 in a commercial hatchery setting followed by a period in ambient common garden. Respiration rate and shell length were measured for juvenile geoduck periodically throughout short-term repeated reciprocal exposure periods in ambient (~550 μatm) or elevated (~2400 μatm) pCO2 treatments and in common, ambient conditions, 5 months after exposure. Short-term exposure periods comprised an initial 10-day exposure followed by 14 days in ambient before a secondary 6-day reciprocal exposure. The initial exposure to elevated pCO2 significantly reduced respiration rate by 25% relative to ambient conditions, but no effect on shell growth was detected. Following 14 days in common garden, ambient conditions, reciprocal exposure to elevated or ambient pCO2 did not alter juvenile respiration rates, indicating ability for metabolic recovery under subsequent conditions. Shell growth was negatively affected during the reciprocal treatment in both exposure histories; however, clams exposed to the initial elevated pCO2 showed compensatory growth with 5.8% greater shell length (on average between the two secondary exposures) after 5 months in ambient conditions. Additionally, clams exposed to the secondary elevated pCO2 showed 52.4% increase in respiration rate after 5 months in ambient conditions. Early exposure to low pH appears to trigger carryover effects suggesting bioenergetic re-allocation facilitates growth compensation. Life stage-specific exposures to stress can determine when it may be especially detrimental, or advantageous, to apply stress conditioning for commercial production of this long-lived burrowing clam.

Metabolic Recovery and Compensatory Shell Growth of Juvenile Pacific Geoduck Panopea Generosa Following Short-Term Exposure to Acidified Seawater

While acute stressors can be detrimental, environmental stress conditioning can improve performance. To test the hypothesis that physiological status is altered by stress conditioning, we subjected juvenile Pacific geoduck, Panopea generosa, to repeated exposures of elevated pCO2 in a commercial hatchery setting followed by a period in ambient common garden. Respiration rate and shell length were measured for juvenile geoduck periodically throughout short-term repeated reciprocal exposure periods in ambient (~550 µatm) or elevated (~2400 µatm) pCO2 treatments and in common, ambient conditions, five months after exposure. Short-term exposure periods comprised an initial 10-day exposure followed by 14 days in ambient before a secondary 6-day reciprocal exposure. The initial exposure to elevated pCO2 significantly reduced respiration rate by 25% relative to ambient conditions, but no effect on shell growth was detected. Following 14 days in common garden, ambient conditions, reciprocal exposure to elevated or ambient pCO2 did not alter juvenile respiration rates, indicating ability for metabolic recovery under subsequent conditions. Shell growth was negatively affected during the reciprocal treatment in both exposure histories, however clams exposed to the initial elevated pCO2 showed compensatory growth with 5.8% greater shell length (on average between the two secondary exposures) after five months in ambient conditions. Additionally, clams exposed to the secondary elevated pCO2 showed 52.4% increase in respiration rate after five months in ambient conditions. Early exposure to low pH appears to trigger carry-over effects suggesting bioenergetic re-allocation facilitates growth compensation. Life stage-specific exposures to stress can determine when it may be especially detrimental, or advantageous, to apply stress conditioning for commercial production of this long-lived burrowing clam.Lay summaryCommercial shellfish hatcheries provide essential food security, but often production can be hampered by sensitivity of shellfish at early life stages. Repeated short-term exposures can increase tolerance and performance of the geoduck clam with implications for sustainable aquaculture.

Multi-Stress Conditioning Can Synergisticly Enhance Production of Osteogenic Markers and Heat Shock Proteins

Tissue regeneration can be enhanced by introduction of biochemical and mechanical cues. We investigated the effect of thermal and mechanical stress alone or in combination with growth factors (GFs) (BMP-2 and TGF-β1) on cell proliferation and induction of heat shock proteins and bone-related proteins by MC3T3-E1mouse preosteoblasts. Thermal and mechanical stress conditioning alone induced bone-related proteins such as osteocalcin (OCN), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and osteopontin (OPN) and heat shock proteins (HSP27, HSP47, HSP70). Cell proliferation was increased by cyclic tension in combination with growth factors. Combined thermal and mechanical stress induced synergistic expression of HSPs and VEGF. Therefore, utilization of thermal and tensile stress conditioning can stimulate bone healing or regeneration.