Injury improves tolerance to acute heat stress through induction of heat shock protein expression in the annelid Pristina leidyi

A study published in the journal <source 525da5c0-343> reveals that injury can enhance an organism's ability to withstand sudden increases in heat. Researchers examined the impact of amputation on the annelid species Pristina leidyi and found that injury not only increased survival under extreme heat but also raised tolerance to heat stress without altering metabolic rate.

Using a technique called TagSeq, the team discovered that injured worms exhibited a heightened response to subsequent heat stress compared to those subjected to injury or heat stress alone. This exaggerated response was mainly due to the overexpression of two heat shock protein family members. Interestingly, pharmacological inhibition of one of these proteins, mortalin, significantly reduced heat tolerance in both uninjured and injured worms, as well as hampered the regeneration of anterior tissues.

The authors suggest that mortalin and other stress response factors induced by injury briefly enhance an organism's resistance to various forms of stress. This research sheds light on the intricate relationship between injury, regeneration, and physiological adaptation, highlighting the unexpected benefits and shared ancestral mechanisms of biological damage response across different species.