Antarctic fish cell cultures show adaptation of organelle morphology and dynamics to extreme cold
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Abstract
In the Antarctic Southern Ocean, cold-blooded animals have evolved to live at stable temperatures of 0±2 °C. This extremely low temperature affects their biology at every scale, from protein folding to development. However, how animal (sub)cellular organisation and dynamics are adapted to near-0 °C temperatures has not been studied. We therefore established methods to culture and fluorescently label cells from the Antarctic plunderfish Harpagifer antarcticus and a temperate comparator species, the shanny Lipophrys pholis . By imaging these cultures live at physiological temperatures, we found that subcellular organisation is broadly conserved in H. antarcticus , featuring known membranous organelles and biomolecular condensates that remain dynamic, with mitochondria in H. antarcticus and L. pholis moving at similar speeds. However, we also identified differences in organelle properties between H. antarcticus and L. pholis , including lysosomal enlargement and mitochondrial morphology changes. These differences may be functionally linked to protein misfolding and slow embryonic development in Antarctic species.
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This will inform our understanding of adaptation to extreme cold environments and the vulnerability of Antarctic species to their changing habitat.
This is really beautiful work that is hypothesis-generating for both cell biology and climate change adaptation research, all in non-model organisms!
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when tested in H. antarcticus, SYTO12 strongly labelled only the previously identified perinuclear bodies
If possible, it would be nice to see L. pholis SYTO12 staining here as well. Whether it’s more like H. antarcticus or mammalian cells, either way is interesting and informative!
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as perinuclear bodies are more prominent in H. antarcticus than L. pholis, these findings indicate cellular ‘digestion’ is less efficient in H. antarcticus.
I'm curious about the species-specific differences in pH between these perinuclear bodies, as both nuclear proximity and temperature impact lysosomal pH in mammalian cells. If anything, I would expect H. antarcticus lysosomes and lysosome-related organelles to be more acidic. Lots of interesting follow-up directions here!
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(Figure 1e)
These images are so beautiful!
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