Distinct Gene Expression Patterns of Two Heat Shock Protein 70 Members During Development, Diapause, and Temperature Stress in the Freshwater Crustacean Daphnia magna

Dormancy is a lifecycle delay that allows organisms to escape suboptimal environmental conditions. As a genetically programmed type of dormancy, diapause is usually accompanied by metabolic depression and enhanced tolerance toward adverse environmental factors. However, the drivers and regulators that steer an organism’s development into a state of suspended animation to survive environmental stress have not been fully uncovered. Heat shock proteins 70 (HSP70s), which are often produced in response to various types of stress, have been suggested to play a role in diapause. Considering the diversity of the Hsp70 family, different family members may have different functions during diapause. In the present study, we demonstrate the expression of two hsp70 genes (A and B together with protein localization of B) throughout continuous and diapause interrupted development of Daphnia magna. Before and after diapause, the expression of Dmhsp70-A is low. Only shortly before diapause and during diapause, Dmhsp70-A is significantly upregulated and may therefore be involved in diapause preparation and maintenance. In contrast, Dmhsp70-B is expressed only in developing embryos but not in diapausing embryos. During continuous development, the protein of this Hsp70 family member is localized in the cytosol. When we expose both embryo types to heat stress, expression of both hsp70 genes increases only in developing embryos, and the protein of family member B is translocated to the nucleus. In this stress formation, this protein provides effective protection of nucleoplasmic DNA. As we also see this localization in diapausing embryos, it seems that Daphnia embryo types share a common subcellular strategy when facing dormancy or heat shock, i.e., they protect their DNA by HSP70B nuclear translocation. Our study underlines the distinctive roles that different Hsp70 family members play throughout continuous and diapause interrupted development.