Unravelling life-history changes and proteomic signatures of a marine annelid under transgenerational exposure to ocean warming

Diana Madeira, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Portugal

Host: Mário Diniz, UCIBIO NOVA

ZOOM link: https://ucibio.pt/l/GuestSeminars

Abstract:

Global change is leading to an increase in the average sea surface temperature, resulting in biodiversity changes across marine ecosystems. Elevated temperature is a key environmental driver that directly modulates the metabolism of ectotherms, inducing changes in cellular functioning, performance and fitness.
However, most global change studies to date focused on within-generation effects. Hence, little is known on how ocean warming (OW) affects marine organism fitness and underlying cellular physiology across generations.
This study aimed  to uncover how transgenerational exposure to OW (for 2 generations) affects life-history (size/age at 1st reproduction, egg evelopmental time) and fitness-related traits (breeding success, fecundity), and underlying proteomic signatures of a  marine annelid (Ophryotrocha adherens). Overall, among life history traits, only age at 1st reproduction was affected by OW and generation, undergoing an increase under elevated temperature and across generations. Size at 1st reproduction and egg developmental time did not change according to temperature, generation or their interaction. Moreover, fecundity was also maintained across scenarios and generations but breeding success somewhat decreased under OW. At the cellular level, the interaction between temperature and generation strongly modulated annelids’ proteome, regulating the abundance of 105 proteins involved in functions such as cell signaling, vesicle transport, energy metabolism, protein synthesis, cytoskeletal dynamics, cellular stress responses, nucleotide metabolism and the nucleosome. We are currently building a cell model reflecting transgenerational cellular physiology changes under OW in marine annelids.

Shot Bio:

I graduated in Biology from the University of Lisbon in 2009, subsequently enrolling in a Marine Ecology MSc at the same University, where I studied the thermal tolerance of coastal species (vertebrates and invertebrates) and associated vulnerability to climate change. After completing the PhD in Sustainable Chemistry at NOVA University of Lisbon (UCIBIO) in 2016, where I studied the proteome plasticity of a commercial fish toward global change, I joined CESAM (University of Aveiro) as a post-doctoral research fellow. During that time, I delved into the molecular mechanisms underpinning within and transgenerational plastic responses of marine invertebrates under a global change framework, in partnership with the University of Quebec in Rimouski (Canada). In 2020 I started a position as CEEC-Junior Researcher at CESAM, where I continue to work on the effects of global change on marine organisms using an integrative biology approach, from molecules to ecosystems. I will now start a position as CEEC-Assistant Researcher, also at CESAM. My work mostly relies on experimental biology combined with field studies to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms employed by marine animals to deal with environmental challenges on various timescales. My work has been recognized by several prizes including the Research Stimulus Program 2012 (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) and L'Oreal Medals of Honor for Women in Science 2018 (L'Oreal, FCT/UNESCO).