Heat stock protein 70 (HSP70) knockdown in the brine shrimp artemia and its effects on embryo development, diapause termination and stress tolerance

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is a highly specific and effective tool to eliminate or reduce target mRNAs and thus proteins. In this study, RNAi was used to knockdown Hsp70 in Artemia and to investigate Hsp70 function in embryo development, diapause termination and stress tolerance, with the latter focused on thermotolerance and protection against pathogenic Vibrio.