RT Journal Article
T1 Small heat shock proteins as relevant biomarkers for anthropogenic stressors in earthworms
A1 Tilikj, Natasha
A1 Fuente, Mercedes de la
A1 Muñiz-González, Ana Belén
A1 Martínez-Guitarte, José Luis
A1 Caballero-Carretero, Patricia
A1 Novo Rodríguez, Marta
AB Anthropogenic stressors in terrestrial ecosystems require focused research on adaptive responses in soil organisms such as Eisenia fetida, a model earthworm species. We analyzed the gene expression of five small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) in response to various stressors: heat stress (31 and 35 °C), desiccation (10 % and 20 % humidity), and chemical exposure (bisphenol A and endosulfan) under standard and elevated temperatures. Under moderate heat (31 °C), early upregulation of sHSP transcripts suggests their involvement in initial stress responses, possibly mitigating protein aggregation. At the higher temperature (35 °C), three sHSPs served as a defense against severe protein aggregation, a significant finding as previous studies identified only one activated heat shock protein (HSP70) in E. fetida under similar conditions. Desiccation stress at 10 % humidity activated more sHSPs than at 20 % humidity, and the expression profile at 10 % humidity closely resembled that observed under heat stress, suggesting overlapping adaptation pathways. Heat combined with chemical stress, particularly endosulfan, elevated sHSP transcription and underscored the potential of these proteins as biomarkers in multi-stressor environments. Monomeric sHSPs from E. fetida, which share homology with human sHSPs, showed the highest activity across all stressors, suggesting their key role in earthworm adaptation.
PB Elsevier
SN 1095-6433
YR 2024
FD 2024-11-23
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/115451
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/115451
LA eng
NO Tilikj, N., De La Fuente, M., Muñiz-González, A. B., Martínez-Guitarte, J.-L., Caballero-Carretero, P., & Novo, M. (2025). Small heat shock proteins as relevant biomarkers for anthropogenic stressors in earthworms. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 300, 111785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111785
NO We would like to thank the members of the Soil Zoology Group from Complutense University of Madrid for laboratory support. MN was supported by a Ramón y Cajal Fellowship (RYC2018-024654-I), and this study was funded by grants PGC2018-094112-A-I00 and PID2021-122243NB-I00, from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ESF: Investing in your future” and “ERDF: A way of making Europe”.
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 11 abr 2025