title: The susceptibility of corals to thermal stress by analyzing Hsp60 expression.
abstract: Due to the increasing frequency and severity of the coral bleaching events in the context of global warming, there is an urgent need to improve our understanding of the susceptibility of corals to thermal stresses, particularly at the sub-cellular level. In this context, we examined the modulation of the polyp mitochondrial Hsp60 in three scleractinian coral species (Seriatopora hystrix, Montipora monasteriata and Acropora echinata) under simulated heat shock bleaching at 34 °C during a time course of 36 h. All three species displayed a similar initial increase of Hsp60 level which accompanies the increasing paleness of coral tissue. Afterwards, each of them showed a specific pattern of Hsp60 down-regulation which can be indicative of a different threshold of resistance, although it proceeded in synchrony with the complete bleaching of tissues. The finely branched S. hystrix was the species most susceptible to heat stress while the plating M. monasteriata was the most tolerant one, as its Hsp60 down-regulation was less rapid than the branching corals. On the whole, the Hsp60 modulation appears useful for providing information about the susceptibility of the different coral taxa to environmental disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milan - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy; MaRHE Centre (Marine Research and High Education Centre), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll, Maldives. Electronic address: davide.seveso@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seveso
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milan - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy; MaRHE Centre (Marine Research and High Education Centre), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll, Maldives.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montano
authors.affiliation: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Via E. Fermi 2749, I-21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strona
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milan - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milan - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy; MaRHE Centre (Marine Research and High Education Centre), Magoodhoo Island, Faafu Atoll, Maldives.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milan - Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vai
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003720:Densitometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D057232:Global Warming; D006358:Hot Temperature; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins
keywords: Coral bleaching; Global climate change; Heat shock proteins; Hsp60; Thermal susceptibility