Heat tolerance and genetic adaptations in Caenorhabditis briggsae: insights from comparative studies with Caenorhabditis elegans.

ABSTRACT: Temperature tolerance varies widely across species and plays a crucial role in shaping physiological and evolutionary adaptations. Here, we investigate thermal stress responses in Caenorhabditis briggsae and Caenorhabditis elegans using multiple isolates. Our results demonstrate that C. briggsae exhibits enhanced survival, growth, and reproduction at elevated temperatures compared to C. elegans. The increased heat resistance was evident from the L1 larval stage. Notably, C. briggsae isolates from both tropical and temperate regions were equally resistant to heat stress, suggesting that elevated thermal tolerance is an intrinsic feature of this species. To explore the molecular genetic basis of thermal tolerance, we examined expression of heat shock regulators. Transcriptional analysis reve

SUBMITTER: Jhaveri N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12135185 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature