The heat shock response of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus): candidate gene and heterologous microarray approaches.

Subspecies of the Atlantic killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, differ in their maximum thermal tolerance. To determine whether there is a link between the heat shock response (HSR) and maximum thermal tolerance, we exposed 20ºC acclimated killifish from these subspecies to a 2hr heat shock at 34ºC and examined gene expression during heat shock and recovery using real time quantitative PCR and a heterologous cDNA microarray designed for salmonid fishes. Keywords: Expression profiling by array Microarray analyses were performed on four individual fish per subspecies of killifish (northern and southern) prior to heat shock (control) and after 60 minutes of heat shock, hybridized (one slide per individual) against a common reference RNA pool composed of an equal amount of RNA from all samples in the analysis.