Heatwave resilience of juvenile white sturgeon is associated with epigenetic and transcriptional alterations

Heatwaves are increasing in frequency and severity, posing a significant threat to organisms globally. In aquatic environments, heatwaves are often associated with low environmental oxygen, which is a deadly combination for fish. However, surprisingly little is known about the capacity of fishes to withstand these interacting stressors. This issue is particularly critical for species of extreme conservation concern such as sturgeon. We assessed the tolerance of juvenile white sturgeon from an endangered population to heatwave exposure and investigated how this exposure affects tolerance to additional acute stressors. We measured whole-animal thermal and hypoxic performance and underlying epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms. Sturgeon exposed to a simulated heatwave had increased thermal tolerance and exhibited complete compensation for the effects of acute hypoxia. These changes were associated with an increase in mRNA levels involved in thermal and hypoxic stress (hsp90a, hsp90b, ..., , , # Heatwave resilience of juvenile white sturgeon is associated with epigenetic and transcriptional alterations

Data associated with the article - Heatwave resilience of juvenile white sturgeon is associated with epigenetic and transcriptional alterations at Scientific Reports: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42652-7.

Data files description

1. CTMax data
This file contains data on maximum thermal tolerance of white sturgeon prior to and after the heatwave at both 70% and 100% air saturation
2. Hypoxia data
This file contains data on the hypoxia tolerance (oxygen% at the time of LOE) of white sturgeon prior to and after the heatwave at 13C, 17C, and 20C.
3. mRNA data
This file contains mRNA levels in two tissues (gill and heart) for four genes, HSP90a, HSP90b, HSP70, and HIF1a in control samples (Day 0, Day 10, and Day 20) and post-acute stressor (CTMax or Hypoxia trials). Data are expressed as deltadeltaCT and normalized to reference genes and the control group (Day 0, ...