Journal of thermal biology最新文献

{"title":"Taurine attenuates heat stress-induced intestinal permeability by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress and modulating gut microbiota","authors":"Haoran Jiang,&nbsp;Fan Mo,&nbsp;Zhuobin Pan,&nbsp;Chong Wang,&nbsp;Yanjun Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chronic heat stress (HS) impairs intestinal barrier function and microbiota homeostasis. Taurine, a functional amino acid, is well characterized by anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and cytoprotection. However, whether taurine can maintain intestinal barrier integrity and microbiota under chronic HS remains unknown. Mice (6-week-old; C57BL/6; Male) were randomly assigned one of three groups including a control group (CON, 23°C), a heat stress group (HS, 42°C), or a heat stress + taurine group (HT, received 0.5% taurine in drinking water under HS condition). This study investigated the effects of taurine supplementation on intestinal morphology, barrier function, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), apoptosis, and gut microbiota in heat-stressed mice. Taurine supplementation contributed to decreased rectal temperature and body weight loss in heat-stressed mice. Taurine improved intestinal morphology as demonstrated by elevated villus height in HT group compared to HS group. HS-induced intestinal permeability indicative of increased d-lactate was inhibited by upregulating ZO-1 expression in mice administrated by Taurine. Supplementary taurine normalized the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress proteins (BIP, IRE1α, XBP-1, CHOP) as well as proapoptotic proteins (BAX, Cytc, and Active-caspase 3) in HT mice. Taurine intervention resulted in expansion of taurine-utilizing <em>Desulfovibrio</em> in HT mice. Moreover, taurine supplementation enhanced enrichment of SCFA-producing microbiota such as <em>Bifidobacterium, Dubosiella</em>, and <em>Faecalibaculum</em> in heat-stressed mice. Collectively, these results suggested that taurine could attenuate HS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction via reversing ER stress-mediated apoptosis and gut microbial dysbiosis, suggesting taurine as a promising dietary additive against the intestinal injury induced by HS in mice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104556"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148813340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sequential expression of heat shock proteins 70 contributing to the heat response of Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae)","authors":"Jinrong Gao,&nbsp;Tong Li,&nbsp;Litian Cui,&nbsp;Liwei Wang,&nbsp;Ziqing Ma,&nbsp;Xiaodong Zhang,&nbsp;Jiahe Bai,&nbsp;Yantong Liu,&nbsp;Shiqi Jia,&nbsp;Shuting Wu,&nbsp;Xiaoli Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hard tick <em>Haemaphysalis longicornis</em> serves as a vector for multiple pathogens and can cause severe tick-borne diseases. Temperature is a key environmental factor influencing its population dynamics and disease transmission risk. As a crucial molecular mechanism underlying thermal adaptation, the upregulation of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is generally regarded as an important adaptive response of organisms to heat stress. We systematically identified seven Hsp70s (designated as HlHsp70.1, HlHsp70.2, HlHsp70.3, HlHsp70.4, HlHsp70.5, HlHspa5, HlHspa9) in <em>H. longicornis</em> and comprehensively analyzed their physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, and expression patterns. Quantitative real-time PCR results revealed that the expression patterns of HlHsp70s were significantly influenced by the duration and intensity of heat treatment. Under 35°C treatment, most <em>HlHsp70</em> genes (except <em>HlHspa9</em>) were upregulated after 2 h. After 45°C treatment, most <em>HlHsp70</em> genes reached their expression peaks within 1 h. Notably, HlHsp70.1, HlHsp70.2, and HlHsp70.3 exhibited particularly remarkable upregulation, with HlHsp70.2 showing a maximum increase of 1973.71-fold, while HlHspa9 expression remained unchanged. At 45°C, the mortality of <em>H. longicornis</em> was significantly increased after RNA interference of HlHsp70.1, HlHsp70.2, and HlHsp70.3 (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). It indicates that HlHsp70.1, HlHsp70.2, and HlHsp70.3 play critical roles in the thermotolerance of <em>H. longicornis</em>. This study elucidates the important function of the <em>Hsp70</em> gene family in the heat stress response of <em>H. longicornis</em>, providing a theoretical basis for understanding its environmental adaptation and exploring control strategies for tick-borne diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104545"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148584730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The heat is on: behavioural, physiological and reproductive evidence of heat stress in breeding king penguins","authors":"Aude Noiret,&nbsp;Agnès Lewden,&nbsp;Camille Lemonnier,&nbsp;Céline Bocquet,&nbsp;Marine Montblanc,&nbsp;Fabrice Bertile,&nbsp;Marine Hoareau,&nbsp;Elsa Marçon,&nbsp;Jean-Patrice Robin,&nbsp;Pierre Bize,&nbsp;Vincent A. Viblanc,&nbsp;Antoine Stier","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polar and sub-polar animals evolved to thrive in cold climates and may thus be particularly sensitive to rising temperatures associated with climate change. Penguins may be especially vulnerable, due to their dual habitat, alternating between foraging in cold waters and breeding/moulting on an increasingly warm land. Here, we characterized heat stress occurrence in breeding king penguins through behavioural observations (<em>e.g.</em> panting occurrence) and body temperature measurements. We observed that behavioural signs of heat stress are frequent in king penguins breeding in the sub-Antarctic region (<em>&gt;</em> 20% of observations at mid-day), and that subcutaneous temperatures increase under high heat load, especially in penguins observed panting. Subcutaneous and core body temperatures were moderately correlated and both increased with heat load. Yet, their responses were not parallel since core body temperature is markedly less sensitive to heat load than subcutaneous temperature. Air temperature alone was a poor predictor of heat stress occurrence, whereas the combination of high solar radiation, low wind speed and high air temperatures provided the strongest predictive power. Finally, reproductive failures were more likely to occur on warmer days, suggesting that heat stress may have significant sublethal effects on adults that could ultimately affect population dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104537"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148620722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discrepancy between microcellular stress and macrophysiological responses in humid heat: A systematic review","authors":"Yiqing Xia,&nbsp;Jieping Wang,&nbsp;Yixing Zhu,&nbsp;Wenkang Yuan,&nbsp;Ruwen Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104555","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This systematic review evaluates cross-level physiological responses to humid-heat stress and proposes the “Stress Decoupling” framework to explain the dissociation between microcellular signals and macro-functional outputs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, five databases were searched through December 2025. A two-tier synthesis integrated studies reporting both micro-biochemical (e.g., heat shock protein 72 (HSP72), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and macrophysiological (e.g., heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE)) markers, alongside evidence on performance thresholds and adaptive interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Synthesis revealed a non-linear, humidity-mediated response pattern, identifying 60% relative humidity (RH) as a pivotal physiological inflection point. At this threshold, microcellular stress markers (particularly plasma free HSP72) exhibited a disproportionate surge despite constant external workloads, while macrophysiological indicators remained relatively stable or linear—a phase termed the “Decoupling Window” regulated by the central governor system. However, under extreme conditions (e.g., 41 °C, 98% RH), this buffer collapses into “Accelerated Synchronization,” where subjective fatigue and peripheral metabolic strain converge, forcing systemic failure.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Humid-heat stress triggers a hierarchical defense mechanism where cellular alarms precede systemic functional decline. The 60% RH threshold serves as a critical early-warning boundary. Understanding this decoupling window is essential for refining safety protocols and optimizing performance interventions in elite sports and occupational settings confronted with escalating thermal challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104555"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148818898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stage matters in complex life cycles: Thermal limits across development and reproduction in a marine shrimp","authors":"Madalena Missionário,&nbsp;Bianca Allegra Parodi,&nbsp;Ricardo Calado,&nbsp;Pedro M. Costa,&nbsp;Sam Dupont,&nbsp;Diana Madeira","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104540","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104540","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how shallow marine species cope with ocean warming is essential for developing climate-smart conservation strategies. Realistic projections require detailed knowledge of thermal limits across life stages, since these can vary with development, sex and reproductive status. However, most thermal tolerance studies focus exclusively on adults, potentially underestimating species vulnerability. To address this gap, we examined the thermal tolerance of the ditch shrimp <em>Palaemon varians</em>, across its full life cycle through a Critical Thermal maximum (CTmax) experiment, integrating different developmental stages (Zoea 1-5, Postlarvae and Adult), while accounting for sex (Males <em>vs.</em> Females), and female reproductive status (Ovigerous, Spent and Immature). Early larval stages (Zoea 1- 3) exhibited lower CTmax (36.7, 37.1 and 36.8 °C, respectively) than later stages (Zoea 4- 5, Postlarvae and Adults), with Postlarvae (37.9 °C) showing the highest values. Larval development represents a bottleneck for this species' thermal tolerance. The largest increase was observed after the transition from larval life to the postlarvae stage (1.9 %), indicating that this life stage represents a physiological milestone in the acquisition of thermal tolerance in this species. Females were generally more sensitive to heat than males (37.7 °C), with those that had released their larvae recently (spent females 37.2 °C), showing the lowest CTmax values, indicating a potential energetic cost associated with reproduction. Overall, our findings show that focusing solely on adult thermal limits overlooks key vulnerabilities across development and reproduction. Integrating these factors provides a more realistic assessment of shallow-water species’ tolerance to global warming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104540"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148562237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The intestinal microbiota mediates inflammatory responses in heat-stressed pigs via the NOD1/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway","authors":"Zhichao Yu,&nbsp;Tianyue Yu,&nbsp;Zhengrong Wang,&nbsp;Lianyun Wu,&nbsp;Canying Hu,&nbsp;Shengwei Chen,&nbsp;Jiaying Wen,&nbsp;Yanhong Yong,&nbsp;Xingbin Ma,&nbsp;Xiaoxi Liu,&nbsp;WenHui Zhang,&nbsp;XiaoWen Li,&nbsp;A.M. Abd El-Aty,&nbsp;Xiaomin Wang,&nbsp;Xianghong Ju","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intestinal inflammation in pigs is widespread, involving complex pathogens, and is exacerbated by heat stress (HS). This study investigated HS alters gut microbiota to activate NOD1/RIP2/NF-κB signaling and induce intestinal inflammation.</div><div>Twenty pigs exposed to HS (34 ± 1 °C) were compared to 20 controls (25 ± 3 °C). Tissues and feces were collected at intervals. Ninety germ-free mice were randomly divided into nine groups for fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments. Histopathological changes in colonic tissue were observed, and inflammatory factors in peripheral blood were quantified. The effects of HS on key proteins in the NOD1/RIP2 pathway were evaluated. An IPEC-J2 <em>in vitro</em> model was established, and a NOD1 overexpression vector was constructed to examine the effect of NOD1 overexpression on NF-κB activity. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to measure IE-DAP concentrations in fecal samples from heat-stressed pigs.</div><div>Results showed HS caused intestinal damage and increased inflammatory factors (MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-8, IL-18) in pigs, especially on days 7 and 14. Protein levels of HSP70, NOD1, RIP2, and nuclear p65 were significantly altered in colon tissues from day 7. FMT from heat-stressed pigs resulted in damaged colonic tissues, accompanied by increased numbers of white blood cells and neutrophils. The NOD1/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway was activated in colon tissues receiving feces from heat-stressed pigs, triggering a mild inflammatory response for mice. Fecal IE-DAP concentrations were higher in heat-stressed pigs.</div><div>HS causes changes in IE-DAP levels of intestinal digesta, subsequently activating the NOD1/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway and promoting intestinal inflammation in pigs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104553"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148844197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal adaptation of energy allocation and reproduction during aestivation in northern and southern populations of western sand lance (Ammodytes japonicus)","authors":"Michio Yoneda,&nbsp;Noriko Amiya,&nbsp;Tatsuo Tsuzaki,&nbsp;Masahiro Nakamura,&nbsp;Masanori Takahashi,&nbsp;Naoaki Kono,&nbsp;Takeshi Tomiyama","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104550","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104550","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how thermal environments affect energy allocation and reproduction is critical for predicting species responses to climate change. The western sand lance (<em>Ammodytes japonicus</em>) is a small cold-water fish distributed from the warm Seto Inland Sea (southern population) to the cooler Sendai Bay (northern population) in Japan. This species undergoes summer dormancy (aestivation) by burrowing into sandy substrates and ceasing feeding. Under three controlled summer temperature regimes (23 °C, ambient, and 28 °C), we examined lipid and protein consumption, and reproductive traits in males and females from both populations. Lipid content declined markedly under high temperatures in both populations. Even under identical summer temperature conditions, total energy reserves declined more in northern fish (56%) than in southern fish (46%). Protein content remained consistently higher in southern individuals throughout the experiment. During the spawning season, the southern population showed greater gamete production efficiency than their northern counterparts. Specifically, southern females produced approximately 2.2 times more oocytes per unit of energy, despite having slightly smaller yolk volume of ovulated eggs (84% of northern values). These findings indicate that the southern population exhibits a different pattern of reproductive energy allocation, producing more gametes per unit of consumed energy during aestivation. In contrast, although the northern population stored more lipids, it experienced greater energy loss and lower reproductive output per unit of consumed energy under elevated temperatures. These differences may explain the recent population collapse of the northern population and highlight potential vulnerability to ongoing ocean warming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104550"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148770844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of pre-cooling by cold-water immersion on continuous sweat conductivity kinetics during submaximal exercise in the heat","authors":"Ferrari Antoine,&nbsp;Sorg Marine,&nbsp;Berthoin Serge,&nbsp;Rance Mélanie,&nbsp;Dupuy Alexis,&nbsp;Garnier Jean-Philippe,&nbsp;Baquet Georges,&nbsp;Ratel Sébastien","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104554","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104554","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cold-water immersion (CWI) is widely used as a pre-cooling strategy to improve exercise tolerance in hot environments, yet its effects on the temporal organization of sweating remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of whole-body CWI on sweating dynamics during submaximal exercise in the heat and the associated changes in body temperature and body heat storage. Fifteen endurance-trained participants completed two randomized experimental trials consisting of 45 min of cycling in a hot environment (35 °C, 30 % relative humidity), either following whole-body CWI or without pre-cooling. Core temperature, skin temperature, whole-body sweat rate (WBSR), and body heat storage were assessed. Sweating dynamics were continuously monitored using a wearable microfluidic device providing real-time measurements of conductivity-derived sweat sodium chloride concentration equivalent ([NaCl] equivalent). CWI markedly reduced body heat storage (−10.84 ± 1.33 vs. 0.06 ± 0.26 W m⁻², p &lt; 0.001). The onset of detectable sweating occurred significantly later following CWI (1462 ± 291 vs. 558 ± 147 s, p &lt; 0.001), and WBSR was significantly lower (0.84 ± 0.20 vs. 1.38 ± 0.32 L h⁻¹, p &lt; 0.001). Relative sweat [NaCl] equivalent drift indices did not differ between conditions, indicating similar changes in conductivity-derived sweat [NaCl] equivalent once detectable sweating had occurred. Overall body heat storage remained significantly lower following CWI compared with the control condition (1.33 ± 0.27 vs. 1.59 ± 0.24 W m⁻², p &lt; 0.001). These findings indicate that CWI delays the appearance of detectable sweating through a transient reduction in body heat storage at exercise onset. As body heat storage progressively increased during exercise, detectable sweating occurred with similar conductivity-derived sweat [NaCl] equivalent changes despite the delayed onset. Continuous sweat monitoring provided novel insight into the temporal characteristics of sweating responses following pre-cooling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104554"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148770841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal tolerance of an East African fish across a natural dissolved oxygen gradient","authors":"Liana Fortin-Hamel,&nbsp;Lauren J. Chapman","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate warming can affect ectotherms, such as fish, through increased metabolic demands and oxygen consumption rates. There is growing interest in exploring the relationship between hypoxia tolerance and thermal tolerance, as adaptations to hypoxia can improve fish oxygen uptake and delivery capacities. Therefore, we asked whether fish from hypoxic habitats differ in their thermal tolerance from conspecifics inhabiting well-oxygenated waters. To do so, we quantified the critical thermal maximum (CT_max) and agitation temperature (T_ag) of multiple populations of the cyprinid <em>Enteromius neumayeri</em> found in low-oxygen swamps and high-oxygen streams of Kibale National Park, Western Uganda. We also measured CT_max and T_ag under acute hypoxia exposure. Fish were collected from eight sites with similar thermal conditions, but with a strong natural dissolved oxygen (DO) gradient. There was little variation in average CT_max across populations, and neither average DO nor average water temperature per site were significant predictors of CT_max and thermal safety margin (°C difference between CT_max and the maximum environmental temperature). T_ag and agitation window (°C difference between T_ag and CT_max) were not predicted by average water temperature per site; however, there was a weak relationship between both parameters and average DO per site. Fish from low-oxygen sites tended to agitate at lower temperatures and have larger agitation windows. Finally, fish from high- and low-oxygen sites exposed to acute hypoxia had significantly lower CT_max and agitated at lower temperatures, which could affect this species’ persistence during dry seasons when hypoxic events become more frequent in stream and swamp habitats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104558"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148770843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses reveal the differential response mechanisms of Gymnocypris eckloni gills to different intensities of acute heat stress","authors":"Wenzhuo Ban,&nbsp;Rongrong Liao,&nbsp;Yuting Duan,&nbsp;Mei Peng,&nbsp;Cheng Chen,&nbsp;RenYi Yang,&nbsp;Yinhua Zhou,&nbsp;ZhaoFang Han,&nbsp;Haiping Liu,&nbsp;Luo Lei,&nbsp;Chaowei Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jtherbio.2026.104552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Temperature represents one of the most critical environmental factors constraining the aquaculture of cold-water fish species. As the primary respiratory organ directly interfacing with the external environment, the gill is among the tissues most sensitive to thermal stress. To elucidate the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying the thermal response of the plateau cold-water fish <em>Gymnocypris eckloni</em>, this study aimed to investigate the effects of acute heat stress of varying intensities on gill tissue damage and its intrinsic response mechanisms. After acclimation at 16 °C (control group, CO), <em>G. eckloni</em> were subjected to a gradual temperature increase at a rate of 1 °C h⁻¹ to 22 °C (moderate heat group, MH) and 26 °C (high heat group, HH), respectively, and maintained for 12 h. Gill tissues were subsequently collected for histopathological examination, biochemical assays, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses to systematically assess the impacts of acute thermal stress on gill morphology, antioxidant defense, immune response, ion regulation, and the expression profiles of related genes and metabolites. Histological observations revealed that heat stress induced apparent gill lesions, including lamellar bending, epithelial edema, protrusion, and detachment, with more severe damage in the HH group. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that high temperature markedly suppressed total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and activated Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity. Meanwhile, complement component 3 (C3) levels decreased, whereas tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentration increased. Integrated multi-omics analysis indicated that moderate heat stress primarily activated adaptive immune and antioxidant pathways, such as the IL-17 signaling and glutathione metabolism pathways. In contrast, high heat stress induced enrichment of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein processing pathway, altered mitochondrial lipid metabolism characterized by acylcarnitine accumulation, and dysregulation of the arginine metabolism pathway. Collectively, acute heat stress induced pronounced structural damage and oxidative stress in the gills of <em>G. eckloni</em>, disturbing immune and osmoregulatory homeostasis. The fish exhibited distinct responses to thermal stress of different intensities: under moderate heat, adaptive compensatory mechanisms involving metabolic resource mobilization and immune modulation were activated, whereas high heat exceeded the physiological compensation capacity, leading to organelle-associated stress responses and metabolic imbalance, thereby shifting from adaptive regulation toward cellular stress and injury. The arginine metabolism pathway may represent a pivotal mechanism mediating the acute thermal stress response in the gills of <em>G. eckloni</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17428,"journal":{"name":"Journal of thermal biology","volume":"140 ","pages":"Article 104552"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148770899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}