Data from: Ecological relevance of energy metabolism: transcriptional responses in energy sensing and expenditure to thermal and osmotic stresses in an intertidal limpet

For rocky intertidal species that experience changes in a number of potential stressors seasonally and during the tidal cycle, sensing cellular energy status and modulating it adaptively may be crucial for responding to stressor effects. However, the responses of energy metabolism of intertidal species to multiple sublethal stressors are still unclear.
Here, we examined gene expression profiles of biomarkers related to sensing of cellular energy status and regulation of catabolism and energy expenditure in a mid-intertidal limpet Cellana toreuma for elucidating the species’ cellular energy responses stresses from high temperature, desiccation and rainfall.
Expression levels of genes encoding metabolic regulators [two subunits of AMP-activated protein kinase, ampkα, ampkβ; Fu gene inhibition axis formation, axin; two sirtuins, NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-1 (sirt1); NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-5 (sirt5)], metabolic enzymes (hexokinase, hk; pyruvate kinase, pk; isocitrate dehydrogenase, idh) and heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) were quantified in specimens exposed to different temperatures and aerial/freshwater spray conditions.
Based on the gene expression patterns, all individuals could be divided into three groups with divergent cellular energy status, indicating that the selected target genes are appropriate indicators of cellular metabolism. The divergent gene expression patterns indicated a sequence in which individuals from group 1, group 2 and group 3 were faced with increasing energy stress.
The frequency distributions of individuals in the three groups were different among different time points and treatments, indicating that high temperature, desiccation, and rainfall, singly or in combination, could cause energy stress.
Compared to the high percentage (100%) of individuals placed in the highest-stress group (group 3), after 2 h of freshwater spray at 18 °C, the lower percentage (77·8%) of individuals in group 3 after 2 h of freshwater spray at 30 °C indicated the existence of interactive effects of high temperature and rain; high temperature resulted in a lower response of cellular energy metabolism to rainfall.
Sublethal environmental stresses from single stressors such as temperature or osmotic challenges can lead to cellular energy stress. Interactions among stressors may lead to a complex overall effect on cellular energy status in intertidal species.

对于岩质潮间带物种（rocky intertidal species）而言，它们会在季节周期与潮汐循环中遭遇多种潜在胁迫因子的变化，感知细胞能量状态并对其进行适应性调控，或许是应对胁迫效应的关键环节。然而，目前学界仍未明确潮间带物种的能量代谢对多种亚致死胁迫的响应机制。
本研究以潮间带中区的嫁䗩（Cellana toreuma）为研究对象，分析其与细胞能量状态感知、分解代谢及能量消耗调控相关的生物标志物基因表达谱，以阐明该物种应对高温、干燥及降雨胁迫的细胞能量响应机制。
本研究对暴露于不同温度、空气暴露/淡水喷淋条件下的标本，定量检测了编码以下基因的表达水平：代谢调节因子（AMP活化蛋白激酶（AMP-activated protein kinase）的两个亚基ampkα、ampkβ；轴蛋白（axin）；两种沉默信息调节因子（sirtuins）：烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸依赖的去乙酰化酶sirtuin-1（sirt1）、烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸依赖的去乙酰化酶sirtuin-5（sirt5））、代谢酶（己糖激酶（hexokinase, hk）、丙酮酸激酶（pyruvate kinase, pk）、异柠檬酸脱氢酶（isocitrate dehydrogenase, idh））以及热休克蛋白70（hsp70）。
基于基因表达模式，所有个体可被划分为细胞能量状态存在显著差异的三个组别，这表明本次筛选的靶基因可作为细胞代谢的有效指示指标。差异显著的基因表达模式显示，第1组、第2组至第3组的个体依次面临逐步升高的能量胁迫。
三个组别个体的频率分布在不同时间点与处理组间存在显著差异，表明高温、干燥及降雨无论是单独作用还是联合作用，均可引发细胞能量胁迫。
与18℃下淡水喷淋2小时后100%的个体被归入最高胁迫组（第3组）相比，30℃下淡水喷淋2小时后仅77.8%的个体归入第3组，这表明高温与降雨存在交互效应：高温会削弱细胞能量代谢对降雨的响应强度。
单一胁迫因子（如温度或渗透压胁迫）引发的亚致死环境胁迫，可导致细胞能量胁迫。多种胁迫因子间的交互作用，可能会对潮间带物种的细胞能量状态产生复杂的整体影响。