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Effects of Multiple Stressors: Microplastics and Climate Change on Stress Response Gene Expression in Mytilus galloprovincialis
* 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 3 , 2
1  Department of Marine Science, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ULPGC, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 35017, Spain
2  Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Marine Studies, University of Alicante, Alicante 03080, Spain
3  Department of Living Resources, National Higher School of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management (ENSSMAL), Algiers 16320, Algeria
4  Aquaculture Unit, National Institute for Research and Technology of Agrifood (INRTA), Tarragona 43004, Spain
Academic Editor: Jorge Galindo-Villegas

Published: 12 March 2026 by MDPI in The 4th International Online Conference on Animals session Aquatic Animals
Abstract:

Climate change and microplastic pollution are emerging environmental stressors that increasingly threaten marine ecosystems and filter-feeding organisms. The Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, is particularly vulnerable due to its ecological and economic importance. This study explored how elevated seawater temperature and microplastic exposure alone or/in combination affect the expression of key antioxidant and stress-related genes: catalase (cat), superoxide dismutase 1 (sod1), superoxide dismutase 2 (sod2), and heat shock protein 70 (hsp70). Mussels (27.04 ± 6.45 g; 4.02 ± 0.21 cm) were assigned to four treatments: (1) control (18 °C, synthetic seawater), (2) elevated temperature (24 °C), (3) microplastics (0.06 mg L⁻¹), and (4) combined elevated temperature and microplastics. After 21 days, gill and digestive gland tissues were analyzed using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Exposure to higher temperature caused a marked increase in hsp70 expression and moderate upregulation of antioxidant genes, suggesting the activation of protective mechanisms against oxidative and proteotoxic stress. Microplastic exposure alone triggered a milder antioxidant response, consistent with particle-induced oxidative imbalance. The combined treatment produced the strongest transcriptional activation, particularly in sod2 and hsp70, indicating synergistic effects between thermal and microplastic stressors. Overall, the findings suggest that climate-driven warming can intensify the harmful effects of microplastic pollution, compromising the mussel’s oxidative defense capacity. Understanding such multi-stressor interactions is essential for predicting the resilience of marine bivalves under future ocean conditions.

Keywords: Mediterranean Mussel; Oxidative stress; qPCR; Heat stress; Antioxidant defense; Emerging pollutants

 
 
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