PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ravaux, Juliette AU - Gaill, Françoise AU - Bris, Nadine Le AU - Sarradin, Pierre-Marie AU - Jollivet, Didier AU - Shillito, Bruce TI - Heat-shock response and temperature resistance in the deep-sea vent shrimp <em>Rimicaris exoculata</em> AID - 10.1242/jeb.00419 DP - 2003 Jul 15 TA - Journal of Experimental Biology PG - 2345--2354 VI - 206 IP - 14 4099 - http://jeb.biologists.org/content/206/14/2345.short 4100 - http://jeb.biologists.org/content/206/14/2345.full SO - J. Exp. Biol.2003 Jul 15; 206 AB - The shrimp Rimicaris exoculata swarms around hydrothermal black smoker chimneys at most vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This species maintains close proximity to the hydrothermal fluid, where temperatures can reach 350°C and steep thermal and chemical gradients are expected. We performed in vivo experiments in pressurized aquaria to determine the upper thermal limit [critical thermal maximum (CTmax)] of R. exoculata and to investigate some characteristics of the shrimp stress response to heat exposure. These experiments showed that the shrimp does not tolerate sustained exposure to temperatures in the 33-37°C range (CTmax). A heat-inducible stress protein belonging to the hsp70 family was identified in R. exoculata, and its synthesis threshold induction temperature is below 25°C. The R. exoculata optimal thermal habitat may thus be restricted to values lower than previously expected (&lt;25°C).