{"id":261964,"date":"2023-06-13T18:16:16","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T16:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=261964"},"modified":"2023-06-13T18:16:19","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T16:16:19","slug":"masters-of-acclimation-octopuses-adjust-to-cold-by-editing-their-rna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=261964","title":{"rendered":"Masters of Acclimation: Octopuses Adjust to Cold by Editing their RNA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[This is really <\/em>interesting and the full paper is open access<\/a> \u2013cr]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Octopuses use RNA editing to rapidly respond to environmental temperature changes by altering protein function<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peer-Reviewed Publication<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
IMAGE: OCTOPUS BIMACULOIDES.<\/strong> view more <\/a>CREDIT: ROGER T. HANLON<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

WOODS HOLE, Mass. \u2014 Each cell comes with a finite set of instructions encoded in its DNA. Life, however, is unpredictable, and when circumstances change, animals need flexibility to acclimate. New research led by Joshua Rosenthal<\/a> of the Marine Biological Laboratory<\/a> (MBL) and Eli Eisenberg<\/a> at Tel Aviv University indicates that octopuses and their close relatives elegantly adjust to environmental challenges by tinkering with their RNA \u2014 an intermediary molecule that conveys DNA\u2019s directions.
 
In a new study<\/a> appearing in Cell <\/em>on June 8, Rosenthal and colleagues document an enormous uptick in RNA editing when octopus, squid and cuttlefish, known as coleoid cephalopods, acclimate to cold water. After cooling the octopuses\u2019 tanks, the team saw increases in protein-altering activity at more than 13,000 RNA sites in the animals\u2019 nervous systems. In two of these cases, they investigated how swapping out a single letter of the RNA molecule\u2019s code alters the function of proteins the neurons produce. 
 
Through RNA editing, the cephalopods appear to have found a unique way of tweaking their own physiology, according to Rosenthal, a senior scientist at MBL. 
 
\u201cWe\u2019re used to thinking all living things are preprogrammed from birth with a certain set of instructions,\u201d he says. \u201cThe idea the environment can influence that genetic information, as we\u2019ve shown in cephalopods, is a new concept.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mystery of massive RNA editing in cephalopods<\/strong>
 
A cell\u2019s molecular machinery transcribes the instructions encoded in DNA into RNA, some of which goes on to make protein. Researchers have learned that cells have the capacity to swap one member of the four-letter genetic code, Adenosine, for a substitute molecule, Inosine, which behaves like Guanosine, one of the original four. While the same process occurs in humans and most other animals, it only rarely affects RNA that\u2019s bound to produce protein.
 
In 2015, Rosenthal and his colleagues showed that squid employ this kind of protein-altering RNA editing (called A-to-I)  on a massive scale<\/a>, and later showed the same in octopus. 
 
\u201cA big question for us was, \u2018What are they using it for?\u2019\u201d Rosenthal says. 
 
Because editing changes RNA only temporarily, the researchers suspected these animals use it to acclimate to their environment<\/a>. For the current study, they focused on the effects of one such factor, temperature, within the nervous system. Temperature matters because it governs the activity of enzymes, which in turn drive chemical reactions crucial to all physiological processes.
 
Like other cephalopods, the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides<\/em>) they studied cannot generate its own body heat to counteract the temperature drops that accompany tides, changes in water depth, and seasons. 
 
After acclimating octopuses to temperatures at the warm end of their natural range (22 degrees C\/ 72 degrees F) and the cool end (about 13 degrees C \/ 55 degrees F), the researchers examined their RNA. Within its molecular code, they tracked activity at locations where they already knew editing occurs. In the octopuses in the cold tanks, they found significant increases at 13,285 sites where the one-letter change alters protein. For those in the warm tanks, they found upticks at 550 such places.
 
Follow-up experiments suggested RNA editing may help the animals adapt to gradual changes, but not to rapid ones associated with, for example, traveling from warmer surface water down to cooler depths. 
 
To corroborate the lab work, Matthew Birk<\/a>, now an assistant professor at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania, recorded temperature near octopus dens in winter and late summer, then collected the animals. 
 
With help from collaborators at the University of Michigan and Texas Tech University, the team investigated how RNA editing tweaked the function of two proteins that are vital for neural function in the octopuses. The first protein, kinesin-1, ferries cargo along the long branches of neurons. RNA editing, they found, changes the rate at which this molecule travels. Likewise, it alters the responsiveness of a protein called synaptotagmin that enables communication between neurons. 
 
One secret to cephalopods\u2019 sophistication?<\/strong>
 
Cephalopods likely use this form of genetic tinkering to adjust to change in many ways, well beyond acclimating to cold water, Rosenthal suspects. \u201cI think it\u2019s the tip of the iceberg,\u201d he says of this study\u2019s findings.
 
It may explain, in part, how these organisms have achieved sophisticated behavior. Octopuses, for example, can solve mechanical puzzles, and mimic colors and textures to camouflage themselves. Capabilities like these require nervous systems composed of a complex set of proteins.  
 
\u201cWhat mechanisms do they use to create this complexity? I believe that RNA editing is one of them,\u201d Rosenthal says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by Wynne Parry<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014###\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


The Marine Biological Laboratory<\/strong> (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery \u2013 exploring fundamental biology, understanding marine biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the <\/em>University of Chicago<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

JOURNAL<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DOI<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

10.1016\/j.cell.2023.05.004 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

METHOD OF RESEARCH<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Experimental study<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Animals<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARTICLE TITLE<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Temperature-dependent RNA editing in octopus extensively recodes the neural proteome<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

8-Jun-2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Octopuses use RNA editing to rapidly respond to environmental temperature changes by altering protein function<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":261968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691819569,691820175,691820176],"class_list":["post-261964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dna","tag-octopuses","tag-rna-editing","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Octopus_E2AA2B.jpg?fit=1920%2C1278&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-169e","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":419022,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=419022","url_meta":{"origin":261964,"position":0},"title":"The Year of the\u00a0Octopus","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/29\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Octopus\u00a0vulgaris,\u00a0commonly\u00a0known\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0common\u00a0octopus,\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0highly\u00a0intelligent\u00a0marine\u00a0cephalopod\u00a0found\u00a0in\u00a0tropical\u00a0and\u00a0temperate\u00a0waters\u00a0worldwide.","rel":"","context":"In \"2025\"","block_context":{"text":"2025","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=2025"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0Screenshot-2025-12-29-101651.png?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0Screenshot-2025-12-29-101651.png?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0Screenshot-2025-12-29-101651.png?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0Screenshot-2025-12-29-101651.png?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0Screenshot-2025-12-29-101651.png?fit=1200%2C792&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":262209,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=262209","url_meta":{"origin":261964,"position":1},"title":"Why the COVID \u201cmRNA\u201d vaccines are actually DNA gene therapies that must be removed from the market","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/15\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Sucharit Bhakdi, MD and molecular biologist named Kevin McKernan discuss how the so-called messenger RNA COVID vaccines are actually DNA gene therapies.","rel":"","context":"In \"covid pandemic\"","block_context":{"text":"covid pandemic","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=covid-pandemic"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Screenshot-2023-06-15-122212.png?fit=1200%2C681&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Screenshot-2023-06-15-122212.png?fit=1200%2C681&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Screenshot-2023-06-15-122212.png?fit=1200%2C681&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Screenshot-2023-06-15-122212.png?fit=1200%2C681&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0Screenshot-2023-06-15-122212.png?fit=1200%2C681&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":281462,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=281462","url_meta":{"origin":261964,"position":2},"title":"DNA contamination of the mRNA vaccines. Would you like a part of an SV40 monkey virus with that?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/02\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"From JoNova By Jo Nova Image by\u00a0Darwin Laganzon\u00a0from\u00a0Pixabay Three labs confirm fragments of DNA from manufacturing are left in the mRNA vaccines We injected\u00a070% of the world\u2019s population\u00a0with a barely tested admixture that included random lengths of DNA. We don\u2019t know for sure if that DNA has been inserted into\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"DNA\"","block_context":{"text":"DNA","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=dna"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0covidvaccine_dna_opengraph.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0covidvaccine_dna_opengraph.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0covidvaccine_dna_opengraph.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0covidvaccine_dna_opengraph.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0covidvaccine_dna_opengraph.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":442539,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=442539","url_meta":{"origin":261964,"position":3},"title":"New Approaches Uncover Epigenetic Rules of Homeostasis and Cellular Robustness Across Mammal Species","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/04\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Camels (especially dromedaries) have exceptional heat tolerance, surviving desert temperatures often exceeding 40\u201350\u00b0C (104\u2013122\u00b0F) with minimal water. While whole-body adaptations like fat-storing humps, thick fur for insulation\/shade, low sweating, and heterothermy (allowing body temperature to fluctuate daily, e.g., up to 41\u201342\u00b0C) are well-known, recent research highlights cellular and molecular mechanisms.","rel":"","context":"In \"Erratic genes\"","block_context":{"text":"Erratic genes","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=erratic-genes"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-New-Approaches-Uncover-Epigenetic-Rules-of-Homeostasis-and-Cellular-Robustness-Across-Mammal-Species.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-New-Approaches-Uncover-Epigenetic-Rules-of-Homeostasis-and-Cellular-Robustness-Across-Mammal-Species.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-New-Approaches-Uncover-Epigenetic-Rules-of-Homeostasis-and-Cellular-Robustness-Across-Mammal-Species.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-New-Approaches-Uncover-Epigenetic-Rules-of-Homeostasis-and-Cellular-Robustness-Across-Mammal-Species.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0-New-Approaches-Uncover-Epigenetic-Rules-of-Homeostasis-and-Cellular-Robustness-Across-Mammal-Species.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":437753,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=437753","url_meta":{"origin":261964,"position":4},"title":"Claim: Climate change may produce \u201cfast-food\u201d phytoplankton","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/07\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"From MIT via Eurekalert and the Krusty Krab restaurant, home of the deep-sea fast-food sensation the Krabby Patty, comes this face-palm worthy bit of \u201cscience.\u201d -Anthony","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-Climate-change-may-produce-fast-food-phytoplankton.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-Climate-change-may-produce-fast-food-phytoplankton.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-Climate-change-may-produce-fast-food-phytoplankton.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-Climate-change-may-produce-fast-food-phytoplankton.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0-Climate-change-may-produce-fast-food-phytoplankton.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":394906,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=394906","url_meta":{"origin":261964,"position":5},"title":"Another Eye-Roller of a Climate Study","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/13\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From the \u201cWhy do we care that agricultural pests can\u2019t lay eggs properly? \u2013 Oh wait, we don\u2019t!\u201d department\u2026and\u00a0Eurekalert.","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQOfkd6UTh06r19sAIITcV0WnBpItcTDIrPR7FcFHsp0SKCOf7TfvK8BqgIVy13UyugSRzSbob6cOGOxR9Lkc6ykoJFx6AER7bSL-01QThGh3agANwnHcsf-jZbjsEhmMKQtLrLcl-PDKqj93eGtCzVIag.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=261964"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261964\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":261969,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261964\/revisions\/261969"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/261968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=261964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=261964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=261964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}