Evaluating the effects of temperature variations on animals plays an important role in understanding the threat of climate warming. The effects of developmental temperature on offspring performance are critical in evaluating the effects of warming temperatures on the fitness of oviparous species, but the physiological and biochemical basis of this developmental plasticity is largely unknown. In this study, we incubated eggs of the turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) at low (24°C), medium (28°C), and high (32°C) temperatures, and evaluated the effects of developmental temperature on offspring fitness, and metabolic enzymes in the neck and limb muscles of hatchlings. The hatchlings form eggs incubated at the medium temperature showed better fitness-related performance (righting response and swimming capacity) and higher activities of metabolic enzymes (hexokinase, HK; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) than hatchlings from the eggs incubated at high or low temperatures. In addition, the swimming speed and righting response were significantly correlated with the HK activities in limb (swimming speed) and neck (righting response) muscles, suggesting that the developmental plasticity of energy metabolic pathway might play a role in determining the way incubation temperature affects offspring phenotypes. Integrating the fitness-related performance and the activities of metabolic enzymes, we predict that the P. sinensis from high latitude would not face the detrimental effects of climate warming until the average nest temperatures reach 32 ℃.

中文翻译：

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孵化温度如何影响爬行动物的孵化性能：基于代谢酶可塑性的综合见解

评估温度变化对动物的影响对于了解气候变暖的威胁具有重要作用。发育温度对后代性能的影响对于评估变暖温度对卵生物种适应性的影响至关重要，但这种发育可塑性的生理和生化基础在很大程度上是未知的。在这项研究中，我们在低温 (24°C)、中温 (28°C) 和高温 (32°C) 下孵育了海龟 (Pelodiscus sinensis) 的卵，并评估了发育温度对后代适应性的影响，以及幼龟颈部和四肢肌肉中的代谢酶。与高温或低温孵化的蛋孵化的幼雏相比，在中等温度下孵化的蛋孵化出的幼雏表现出更好的适应性相关性能（翻正反应和游泳能力）和更高的代谢酶（己糖激酶，HK；乳酸脱氢酶，LDH）活性。此外，游泳速度和翻正反应与四肢（游泳速度）和颈部（翻正反应）肌肉的 HK 活动显着相关，表明能量代谢途径的发育可塑性可能在决定孵化温度影响方式中发挥作用后代表型。综合健身相关表现和代谢酶的活动，我们预测 P.