Lipid remodelling in the reef-building honeycomb worm, Sabellaria alveolata, reflects acclimation and local adaptation to temperature. Muir, A. P., Nunes, F. L. D., Dubois, S. F., & Pernet, F. Scientific Reports, 6:35669, October, 2016. 00000 WOS:000386081400001
doi  abstract   bibtex   
Acclimation and adaptation, which are key to species survival in a changing climate, can be observed in terms of membrane lipid composition. Remodelling membrane lipids, via homeoviscous adaptation (HVA), counteracts membrane dysfunction due to temperature in poikilotherms. In order to assess the potential for acclimation and adaptation in the honeycomb worm, Sabellaria alveolata, a reef-building polychaete that supports high biodiversity, we carried out common-garden experiments using individuals from along its latitudinal range. Individuals were exposed to a stepwise temperature increase from 15 degrees C to 25 degrees C and membrane lipid composition assessed. Our results suggest that S. alveolata was able to acclimate to higher temperatures, as observed by a decrease in unsaturation index and 20:5n-3. However, over the long-term at 25 degrees C, lipid composition patterns are not consistent with HVA expectations and suggest a stress response. Furthermore, unsaturation index of individuals from the two coldest sites were higher than those from the two warmest sites, with individuals from the thermally intermediate site being in-between, likely reflecting local adaptation to temperature. Therefore, lipid remodelling appears limited at the highest temperatures in S. alveolata, suggesting that individuals inhabiting warm environments may be close to their upper thermal tolerance limits and at risk in a changing climate.
@article{muir_lipid_2016,
	title = {Lipid remodelling in the reef-building honeycomb worm, {Sabellaria} alveolata, reflects acclimation and local adaptation to temperature},
	volume = {6},
	issn = {2045-2322},
	doi = {10.1038/srep35669},
	abstract = {Acclimation and adaptation, which are key to species survival in a changing climate, can be observed in terms of membrane lipid composition. Remodelling membrane lipids, via homeoviscous adaptation (HVA), counteracts membrane dysfunction due to temperature in poikilotherms. In order to assess the potential for acclimation and adaptation in the honeycomb worm, Sabellaria alveolata, a reef-building polychaete that supports high biodiversity, we carried out common-garden experiments using individuals from along its latitudinal range. Individuals were exposed to a stepwise temperature increase from 15 degrees C to 25 degrees C and membrane lipid composition assessed. Our results suggest that S. alveolata was able to acclimate to higher temperatures, as observed by a decrease in unsaturation index and 20:5n-3. However, over the long-term at 25 degrees C, lipid composition patterns are not consistent with HVA expectations and suggest a stress response. Furthermore, unsaturation index of individuals from the two coldest sites were higher than those from the two warmest sites, with individuals from the thermally intermediate site being in-between, likely reflecting local adaptation to temperature. Therefore, lipid remodelling appears limited at the highest temperatures in S. alveolata, suggesting that individuals inhabiting warm environments may be close to their upper thermal tolerance limits and at risk in a changing climate.},
	language = {English},
	journal = {Scientific Reports},
	author = {Muir, Anna P. and Nunes, Flavia L. D. and Dubois, Stanislas F. and Pernet, Fabrice},
	month = oct,
	year = {2016},
	note = {00000 
WOS:000386081400001},
	keywords = {climate-change, escherichia-coli, ethanolamine, fatty-acids, homeoviscous adaptation, membrane fluidity, phospholipids, plasmalogens, rainbow-trout, thermal   adaptation},
	pages = {35669}
}

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