Expression of heat shock protein 70 mRNA on the disk abalone Haliotis discus discus under temperature change

Temperature change can be a significant stressor for aquatic organisms. Abalones, a type of large marine gastropods, are the most commercially important species in aquaculture for Asia. To evaluate the potential ecological risk posed by temperature stress, we investigated molecular responses of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in Haliotis discus discus exposed to temperature gradients (20, 22, 24, 26, and 28°C). After 24 h temperature exposure, transcriptional response of HSP70 gene significantly induced in H. discus discus exposed to 24, 26, and 28°C temperature (p <0.05), in compare to 20°C control. HSP70 gene expression also significantly increased in H. discus discus exposed to 26 and 28°C of the relative high temperatures after long-term exposure (96 h). In contrast to, transcriptional level of HSP70 mRNA decreased approximately 2.5-fold in 24°C, 2-fold in 26°C, and 5-fold in 28°C condition. These results suggest stress responses of HSP70 role in protein quality control to increased temperatures. Furthermore, transcriptional response of H. discus discus HSP70 could be utilized as a stress marker for monitoring of marine ecosystems under temperature change.