Natural variations of cold tolerance and temperature acclimation in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Temperature is critical for the survival and proliferation of animals, which must be adapted to cope with environmental temperature changes. In this study, we demonstrated natural variations in the phenotypes of temperature tolerance and temperature acclimation of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and we decoded whole genome sequence of six natural variations, which enabled us to map responsible gene polymorphisms onto specific chromosomal regions. The C. elegans laboratory strain, N2, survives at 2 °C after cultivation at 15 °C but is unable to survive at 2 °C after cultivation at 20 or 25 °C. This cultivation-temperature-dependent cold tolerance occurs within a few hours after the temperature shift and is termed cold acclimation. We measured the cold tolerance and cold acclimation phenotypes of many natural variants isolated from various areas. CB4854 showed weaker cold tolerance associated with gene polymorphisms on the sex chromosome decoded by whole genome sequencing. Variable cold acclimation phenotypes were exhibited in twelve natural isolates and the large difference was seen between CB4856 and AB1 strains. CB4856, isolated from Hawaii, acclimated slowly to a new temperature, whereas AB1, isolated from Australia, acclimated rapidly. By the whole genome sequencing analysis, two different polymorphisms responsible for the accelerated cold acclimation in AB1 were mapped to specific chromosomal regions.
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Faculty of Science and Engineering and Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, 8-9-1 Okamoto, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8501, Japan.
Misaki
M
Okahata
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Faculty of Science and Engineering and Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, 8-9-1 Okamoto, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8501, Japan. aohta@center.konan-u.ac.jp.
Akane
A
Ohta
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Faculty of Science and Engineering and Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, 8-9-1 Okamoto, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8501, Japan.
Hitomi
H
Mizutani
Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.
Yohei
Y
Minakuchi
Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.
Atsushi
A
Toyoda
Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Faculty of Science and Engineering and Institute for Integrative Neurobiology, Konan University, 8-9-1 Okamoto, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, 658-8501, Japan. kuhara@center.konan-u.ac.jp.
Atsushi
A
Kuhara
D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003080:Cold Temperature; D014644:Genetic Variation; D049751:Genome, Helminth; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Caenorhabditis elegans; Cold tolerance; Natural variation; Temperature acclimation