title: HSP70 expression in the Copper butterfly Lycaena tityrus across altitudes and temperatures.
abstract: The ability to express heat-shock proteins (HSP) under thermal stress is an essential mechanism for ectotherms to cope with unfavourable conditions. In this study, we investigate if Copper butterflies originating from different altitudes and/or being exposed to different rearing and induction temperatures show differences in HSP70 expression. HSP70 expression increased substantially at the higher rearing temperature in low-altitude butterflies, which might represent an adaptation to occasionally occurring heat spells. On the other hand, high-altitude butterflies showed much less plasticity in response to rearing temperatures, and overall seem to rely more on genetically fixed thermal stress resistance. Whether the latter indicates a higher vulnerability of high-altitude populations to global warming needs further investigation. HSP70 expression increased with both colder and warmer induction temperatures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany. isabell.karl@uni-bayreuth.de
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karl
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Loeschcke
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins