Are mussels sensing thermal early threats?
Dr. Konstantinos Feidantsis says that mussels may sense early thermal stress and they are prepared to defend against oxidative stress. Specifically he has shown in a recent investigation* that expression of genes and increase in the levels of mRNA related to enzymes of antioxidant defense are taking place even when mussels are exposed to 22oC, before mussels' mortality is initiated at temperatures beyond 26oC. As Dr. Konstantinos Feidantsis said, changes in mRNA expression may not necessarily be related to changes in protein activity per se, but they can be used as thermo-sensing tools in estimating early threats. An early increase in mRNA levels is employed as a “preparatory defensive strategy”, particularly by invertebrates, in order to defend against oxidative stress when they face lethal temperatures.