Linking zebra mussel growth and survival with two cellular stress indicators during chronic temperature stress

Sessile aquatic invertebrates are at great risk for temperature stress. Changes in ambient temperature affect metabolic demands, thus altering energy budgets, and often reducing performance or survival of these species. Zebra mussels are highly invasive, yet little is known about their physiology under biologically relevant conditions, especially with regard to cellular parameters. This study examined the effect of temperature on zebra mussel physiology and investigated whether the levels of two cellular markers, HSP70 and AMPK activity, could serve as indicators of chronic thermal stress. Mussels were collected from a site in central Illinois, slowly acclimated to either 10, 20, or 30°C, and held at these temperatures for four weeks. Size, mortality, and the cellular markers were measured. Size and mortality data indicate heat stress at 30°C. Elevation in HSP70 levels confirmed this temperature elicits a stress response. Elevation in AMPK activity was not detected at 30°C, most likely indicating this temperature is beyond the scope for this marker, and therefore at or near the lethal limit. These data suggest this zebra mussel population experiences reduced performance and potential mortality in the field during summer months. Interestingly, cold acclimation resulted in a temporary elevation in AMPK activity, a result that has not been reported previously in ectotherms and is likely attributable to the metabolic demands of thermal acclimation.