Unresponsiveness of Euplotes focardii hsp70 genes to thermal stress

• Published in: Italian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: LA TERZA, Antonietta, PAPA G, MICELI, Cristina, ALIMENTI, Claudio, LUPORINI, Pierangelo
• Other Authors: Papa, G, Miceli, Cristina, Alimenti, Claudio, Luporini, Pierangelo
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2000
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11581/117170; https://doi.org/10.1080/11250000009356364

A ciliate, Euplotes focardii, endemic in low-bottom sea waters of Antarctic coasts was shown to possess heat-shock genes of the universally conserved family hsp70 that remain trascriptionally inert in heat-shocked cells. Yet these genes appeared to be represented by thousands of copies in the functional genome that is carried in the cell somatic (macro)nucleus, and constitutively expressed in cells growing under standard temperature conditions in a cold room. It was suggested that these findings reflect a long evolutionary existence that E. focardii has spent in an environment unique for its permanent thermal stability at subzero temperature.