Gain of thermal tolerance through acclimation is quicker than the loss by de-acclimation in the freeze-tolerant potworm, Enchytraeus albidus

Environmental temperature variation, naturally occurring or induced by climate change, leads organisms to evolve behavioural and physiological responses to handle thermal fluctuations. Among them, phenotypic plasticity is considered a fundamental response to natural thermal variations. Nevertheless, we know little about the rate of thermal acclimation responses and the physiological mechanisms underpinning phenotypic plasticity in freeze-tolerant invertebrates. We assessed the temporal dynamics of heat and cold tolerance plasticity in the freeze-tolerant potworm Enchytraeus albidus following thermal acclimation. Acclimation responses were investigated in worms cultured at 5 or 20°C and acclimated for varying duration (hours to weeks) at the same temperature or relocated to the opposite temperature. The rate of phenotypic responses of thermal tolerance was evaluated by assessing survival after exposure to high and low stressful temperatures. Worms cultured at 5°C were more cold tolerant and less heat tolerant than worms cultured at 20°C. The plasticity of thermal tolerance in E. albidus varied in scope and response time according to both culture and acclimation temperatures: acclimation at 20°C of worms cultured at 5°C increased heat survival within 1 day and reduced cold tolerance in 5 days, while acclimation at 5°C of worms cultured at 20°C did not affect heat survival but considerably and quickly, within 1 day, increased cold tolerance. Effects of acclimation were also assessed on membrane phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition and glycogen content of worms, and showed that improved tolerance was linked to changes in membrane PLFA desaturation and chain length.