Expression patterns and organization of the hsp70 genes correlate with thermotolerance in two congener endemic amphipod species (Eulimnogammarus cyaneus and E. verrucosus) from Lake Baikal

Research on endemic Baikal amphipods reveals that the thermotolerant species Eulimnogammarus cyaneus exhibits a 5-fold higher basal level of heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) under normal conditions and lower induction upon temperature elevation compared to its more thermosensitive congener, E. verrucosus. This suggests that structural and functional rearrangements in the hsp70 gene family contribute to thermal adaptation. The study isolated and sequenced hsp70 genes from both species, identifying two cytosolic Hsp70/Hsc70 isoforms under normal conditions, with only one isoform induced by heat shock. These findings provide insights into molecular mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance in Baikal amphipods, representing the first description of hsp70 gene structure and function in endemic species inhabiting thermally contrasting habitats.

Bedulina, D. S., Evgen’ev, M. B., Timofeyev, M. A., Protopopova, M. V., Garbuz, D. G., Pavlichenko, V. V., Luckenbach, T., Shatilina, Z. M., Axenov‐Gribanov, D. V., Gurkov, A. N., Sokolova, I. M., & Zatsepina, O. G. (2013). Expression patterns and organization of the hsp70 genes correlate with thermotolerance in two congener endemic amphipod species (Eulimnogammarus cyaneus and E. verrucosus) from Lake Baikal. Molecular Ecology, 22(5), 1416–1430. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.12136