Effects of low seawater pH on the marine polychaete Platynereis dumerilii.
An important priority for any organism is to maintain internal cellular homeostasis including acid-base balance. Yet, the molecular level impacts of changing environmental conditions, such as low pH, remain uncharacterised. Herein, we isolate partial Na(+)/H(+)exchangers (NHE), carbonic anhydrase (CA), and calmodulin (CaM) genes from a polychaete, Platynereis dumerilii and investigate their relative expression in acidified seawater conditions. mRNA expression of NHE was significantly down-regulated after 1h and up-regulated after 7days under low pH treatment (pH 7.8), indicating changes in acid-base transport. Furthermore, the localisation of NHE expression was also altered. A trend of down regulation in CA after 1h was also observed, suggesting a shift in the CO2 and HCO3(-) balance. No change in CaM expression was detected after 7days exposure to acidified seawater. This study provides insight into the molecular level changes taking place following exposure to acidified seawater in a non-calcifying, ubiquitous, organism.
School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
Janine
J
Wäge
School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
Jörg D
JD
Hardege
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Meyerhofstr. 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
Tomas A
TA
Larsson
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Meyerhofstr. 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
Oleg
O
Simakov
School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
Emma C
EC
Chapman
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Meyerhofstr. 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
Detlev
D
Arendt
School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom. Electronic address: j.rotchell@hull.ac.uk.
Jeanette M
JM
Rotchell
D000818:Animals; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000235:genetics; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000502:physiology*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / Q000235:genetics
D002147:Calmodulin; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases
Acid–base regulation; Gene expression; Low pH; P. dumerilii; Polychaeta