Freezing of body fluids induces metallothionein gene expression in earthworms (Dendrobaena octaedra).

The molecular mechanisms activated by environmental contaminants and natural stressors such as freezing need to be investigated in order to better understand the mechanisms of interaction and potential effects that combined stressors may have on organisms. Using the freeze-tolerant earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra as model species, we exposed worms to freezing and exposure to sublethal copper in a factorial design and investigated the transcription of candidate genes for metal and cold stress. We hypothesised that both freezing and copper would induce transcription of genes coding for heat shock proteins (hsp10 and hsp70), metallothioneins (mt1 and mt2), and glutathione-S-transferase (gst), and that the combined effects of these two stressors would be additive.

Membrane properties of Enchytraeus albidus originating from contrasting environments: a comparative analysis.

Ectothermic animals adapted to different environmental temperatures are hypothesized to have biological membranes with different chemical and physical properties such that membrane properties are optimized for their particular thermal environments. To test this hypothesis we analyzed the composition of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) in seven different populations of Enchytraeus albidus originating from different thermal environments. The seven populations differ markedly in origin (polar-temperate) and are also characterized by marked difference in cold tolerance.

Effect of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on geographically different populations of the freeze-tolerant worm Enchytraeus albidus (Oligochaeta).

Freeze-tolerant organisms survive internal ice formation; however, the adaptations to repeated freeze-thaw cycles are often not well investigated. Here we report how three geographically different populations of Enchytraeus albidus (Germany, Iceland and Svalbard) respond to three temperature treatments - constant thawed (0°C), constant freezing (-5°C) and fluctuating temperature (0 to -5°C) - over a period of 42 days. Survival varied between treatments and populations such that enchytraeids from arctic locations had a higher survival following prolonged freeze periods compared with temperate populations.

Roles of carbohydrate reserves for local adaptation to low temperatures in the freeze tolerant oligochaete Enchytraeus albidus.

Geographic variation in cold tolerance and associated physiological adaptations were investigated in the freeze tolerant enchytraeid Enchytraeus albidus (Oligochaeta). Specimens from Svalbard, Greenland (Nuuk), Iceland (Hólar and Mossfellsbær) and continental Europe [Norway (Bergen), Sweden (Kullen) and Germany] were reared in the laboratory in a common-garden experiment. The aim was to test for variations in minimum lethal temperature, freeze duration tolerance, carbohydrate reserves and metabolic rate among the populations.

Variation in metallothionein gene expression is associated with adaptation to copper in the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra.

Evolution of resistance to heavy metals has been reported for several populations of soil living organisms occurring at metal contaminated sites. Such genetically based and heritable resistance contribute to the persistence of populations in contaminated areas. Here we report on molecular responses to experimental copper in populations of the earthworm, Dendrobaena octaedra, originating from copper contaminated soil near Gusum (Sweden) where heavy metal pollution has been present for several decades.