The impact of global warming on animal populations worldwide is significant, primarily due to temperature increases and a higher frequency of heatwaves. A recent research study carried out by scientists from Universidad Andrés Bello, Universidad de Concepción, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Centro Interdisciplinario para la Investigación Acuícola (INCAR) investigated the effects of high-temperature stress on the skeletal muscle transcriptome of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) under normal conditions (15°C) and high-temperature conditions (20°C). The findings revealed that the stress caused by the rise in temperature led to notable increases in plasma levels of cortisol and glucose.
Analysis of the transcriptome showed that 293 genes were upregulated in the high-temperature group, primarily linked to autophagosome assembly, amino acid transport, and glutamine metabolic processes. Conversely, 119 genes were downregulated in the high-temperature group, mainly associated with digestion, proteolysis, and muscle contraction processes. Additionally, RT-qPCR of selected differentially expressed genes and Western blot analysis of LC3-II/LC3-I levels confirmed the induction of skeletal muscle autophagy due to high temperature.
The study, titled “High-Temperature Stress Induces Autophagy in Rainbow Trout Skeletal Muscle,” authored by Alfredo Molina, Phillip Dettleff, Valentina Valenzuela-Muñoz, Cristian Gallardo-Escárate, and Juan Antonio Valdés, provides valuable insights into the adaptive response of Rainbow Trout skeletal muscle to high-temperature stress and offers important information on the physiology of autophagy in teleosts.
For more information, please read the article “High-Temperature Stress Induces Autophagy in Rainbow Trout Skeletal Muscle”, published in “Fishes”.
