high temperature affect the spotted seabass
Global warming and the increasing frequency of marine heatwaves (MHWs) pose significant threats to marine ecosystems and aquaculture. The spotted seabass (Lateolabrax maculatus), an economically important species in Asia, is particularly vulnerable to elevated temperatures. However, the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying its thermal stress response across different developmental stages remain poorly understood. This study investigated the behavioral, transcriptomic, molecular, and physiological responses to chronic heat stress in late larvae and late juveniles of L. maculatus. After a 14-day acclimation to elevated temperatures, late larvae exhibited a significant shift in thermal preference, moving towards warmer zones (26–34?). Transcriptomic analysis of the brain revealed stage-specific pathways: juveniles activated neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and MAPK signaling, while larvae enriched phosphatidylinositol signaling and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. Heat stress significantly upregulated key thermosensory genes (e.g., trpv1, trpv4, trpm2, trek1, trek2) in the brain of both stages, but induced distinct expression patterns in the skin, suggesting a developmental shift from peripheral to central dominance in temperature perception. The hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis genes (crh, crhr1, crhr2, pomc) and heat shock proteins (hsp70, hsp90) were upregulated in both stages, concomitant with increased serum cortisol. Notably, energy metabolism diverged: larvae maintained appetite and developed hyperglycemia, whereas juveniles exhibited suppressed feeding (˜80% reduction) and hypoglycemia, linked to differential expression of appetite regulators (npy, orexin, cck, leptin).
Global warming and the increasing frequency of marine heatwaves (MHWs) pose significant threats to marine ecosystems and aquaculture. The spotted seabass (Lateolabrax maculatus), an economically important species in Asia, is particularly vulnerable to elevated temperatures. However, the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying its thermal stress response across different developmental stages remain poorly understood. This study investigated the behavioral, transcriptomic, molecular, and physiological responses to chronic heat stress in late larvae and late juveniles of L. maculatus. After a 14-day acclimation to elevated temperatures, late larvae exhibited a significant shift in thermal preference, moving towards warmer zones (26–34?). Transcriptomic analysis of the brain revealed stage-specific pathways: juveniles activated neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and MAPK signaling, while larvae enriched phosphatidylinositol signaling and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. Heat stress significantly upregulated key thermosensory genes (e.g., trpv1, trpv4, trpm2, trek1, trek2) in the brain of both stages, but induced distinct expression patterns in the skin, suggesting a developmental shift from peripheral to central dominance in temperature perception. The hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis genes (crh, crhr1, crhr2, pomc) and heat shock proteins (hsp70, hsp90) were upregulated in both stages, concomitant with increased serum cortisol. Notably, energy metabolism diverged: larvae maintained appetite and developed hyperglycemia, whereas juveniles exhibited suppressed feeding (˜80% reduction) and hypoglycemia, linked to differential expression of appetite regulators (npy, orexin, cck, leptin).
shanghai ocean university