Effects of environmental hypercapnia on animal physiology: A 13C NMR study of protein synthesis rates in the marine invertebrate Sipunculus nudus

Global climate change is associated with a progressive rise in ocean CO2 concentrations (hypercapnia) and, consequently, a drop in seawater pH. However, a comprehensive picture of the physiological mechanisms affected by chronic CO2 stress in marine biota is still lacking. Here we present an analysis of protein biosynthesis rates in isolated muscle of the marine invertebrate Sipunculus nudus, a sediment dwelling worm living at various water depths. We followed the incorporation of 13C-labelled phenylalanine into muscular protein via high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. Protein synthesis decreased by about 60% at a medium pH of 6.70 and a consequently lowered intracellular pH (pHi). The decrease in protein synthesis rates is much stronger than the concomitant suppression of protein degradation (60% versus 10–15%) possibly posing a threat to the cellular homeostasis of structural as well as functional proteins. Considering the progressive rise in ocean CO2 concentrations, permanent disturbances of cellular protein turnover might seriously affect growth and reproductive performance in many marine organisms with as yet unexplored impacts on species density and composition in marine ecosystems.