Abstract
Current knowledge on the biological responses of freshwater fish under projected scenarios of climate change remains limited. Here, we examine differences in the protein configuration of two endemic Iberian freshwater fish species, Squalius carolitertii and the critically endangered S. torgalensis that inhabit in the Atlantic-type northern and in the Mediterranean-type southwestern regions, respectively. We performed protein structure modeling of fourteen genes linked to protein folding, energy metabolism, circadian rhythms and immune responses. Structural differences in proteins between the two species were found for HSC70, FKBP52, HIF1α and GPB1. For S. torgalensis, besides structural differences, we found higher thermostability for two proteins (HSP90 and GBP1), which can be advantageous in a warmer environment. Additionally, we investigated how these species might respond to projected scenarios of 3° climate change warming, acidification (ΔpH = -0.4), and their combined effects. Significant changes in gene expression were observed in response to all treatments, particularly under the combined warming and acidification. While S. carolitertii presented changes in gene expression for multiple proteins related to folding (hsp90aa1, hsc70, fkbp4 and stip1), only one such gene was altered in S. torgalensis (stip1). However, S. torgalensis showed a greater capacity for energy production under both the acidification and combined scenarios by increasing cs gene expression and maintaining ldha gene expression in muscle. Overall, these findings suggest that S. torgalensis is better prepared to cope with projected climate change. Worryingly, under the simulated scenarios, disturbances to circadian rhythm and immune system genes (cry1aa, per1a and gbp1) raise concerns for the persistence of both species, highlighting the need to consider multi-stressor effects when evaluating climate change impacts upon fish. This work also highlights that assessments of the potential of endangered freshwater species to cope with environmental change are crucial to help decision-makers adopt future conservation strategies.
Highlights
Climate change is threatening biodiversity worldwide, with temperature and atmospheric CO2 values rising at an unprecedented rate [1,2,3]
Structural differences were found for the energy metabolism-related protein, HIF1α, and both functional and structural differences were found for GBP1, which is involved in the immune response
Climate change projections for freshwater ecosystems are scarce and may be worse than we simulated here, for the acidification of these ecosystems, where organic matter content may be extremely variable between water bodies and seasons, contrary to what is observed in oceanic waters [34,41]
Summary
Climate change is threatening biodiversity worldwide, with temperature and atmospheric CO2 values rising at an unprecedented rate [1,2,3]. Increases in water temperature, coupled with decreased river flow and increased severity and frequency of droughts, will undoubtedly pose new challenges for freshwater fauna, in the Mediterranean region [4]. Such changes in natural freshwater ecosystems, will directly influence the survival, and the persistence, of extant species. In order to cope with future climate changes, species can shift their distribution to a more suitable habitat, change their life-cycle or adapt through micro-evolution or plasticity to new environmental conditions [5]. The reef fish Acanthochromis polyacanthus and the rainbowfish Melanotaenia duboulayi have exhibited changes in gene expression in response to warming, both through plasticity mechanisms and processes that may enable them to adjust over generations [10,11]
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