Short-term effects of CO₂-induced low pH exposure on target gene expression in Platynereis dumerilii

Wäge, Janine; Rohr, Silvia; Hardege, Jorg D; Rotchell, Jeanette M

Abstract

Objective: Increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentration are causing changes to the seawater carbonate chemistry, lowering the pH and we study potential impacts of these changes at the molecular level in a non-calcifying, marine polychaete species Platynereis dumerilii. Methods: we investigate the relative expression of carbonic anhydrase (CA), Na+/H+ exchangers (NHE), and calmodulin (CaM) genes from P. dumerilii under acidified seawater conditions (pH 7.8) induced by CO₂ using qPCR. Results: mRNA expression of CA in the CO₂-induced worms was significantly up-regulated at low pH conditions (pH 7.8, 1h), suggesting changes in acid-base balance. In contrast, the expression of NHE and CaM showed no significant change. In addition, we compare these results to a previous study using inorganic acid (HCl)-induced pH changes. Conclusions: results suggest that carbonate chemistry has an impact on gene expression that differs from pH-associated change. To our knowledge, this is the first study that compares low pH exposure experiments using HCl and CO₂ as the inducing agents.

Citation

Wäge, J., Rohr, S., Hardege, J. D., & Rotchell, J. M. (2016). Short-term effects of CO₂-induced low pH exposure on target gene expression in Platynereis dumerilii. Journal of Marine Biology and Oceanography, 5(2), https://doi.org/10.4172/2324-8661.1000155

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 29, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jul 5, 2016
• Publication Date: Jul 5, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jul 8, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 8, 2016
• Journal: Journal of marine biology and oceanography
• Print ISSN: 2324-8661
• Publisher: OMICS International
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4172/2324-8661.1000155
• Keywords: Ocean acidification, CO₂, Gene expression, Polychaeta, P. dumerilii, pH
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/440721
• Publisher URL: http://www.scitechnol.com/peer-review/shortterm-effects-of-co2induced-low-ph-exposure-on-target-gene-expression-in-platynereis-dumerilii-uX0c.php?article_id=5276
• Additional Information: This is a description of an article which has been published in: Journal of marine biology and oceanography, 2016, v.5, issue 2.