title: Temperature- and pH-dependent accumulation of heat-shock proteins in the acidophilic green alga Chlamydomonas acidophila.
abstract: Chlamydomonas acidophila, a unicellular green alga, is a dominant phytoplankton species in acidic water bodies, facing severe environmental conditions such as low pH and high heavy metal concentrations. We examined the pH-, and temperature-dependent accumulation of heat-shock proteins in this alga to determine whether heat-shock proteins play a role in adaptation to their environment. Our results show increased heat-shock proteins accumulation at suboptimal pHs, which were not connected with any change in intracellular pH. In comparison to the mesophilic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the acidophilic species exhibited significantly higher accumulations of heat-shock proteins under control conditions, indicating an environmental adaptation of increased basal levels of heat-shock proteins. The results suggest that heat-shock proteins might play a role in the adaptation of C. acidophila, and possibly other acidophilic algae, to their extreme environment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. gerloffa@rz.uni-postdam.de
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerloff-Elias
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barua
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mölich
authors.forename: Elly
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spijkerman
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D002696:Chlamydomonas / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins