Fig. 15.5 Four-hour temperature time-series from 3 cm inside an occupied tube of
Alvinella pompejana at 9°51.8′N.
(^) (After Di Meo-Savoie et al. 2004.)
The physiology of the extraordinary heat tolerance of Alvinella is not yet fully
understood. Related Paralvinella spp. tolerate somewhat lower maximum
temperatures, to 40° or 50°C for a few hours, and have been shown to have substantial
amounts of heat-shock proteins (Hsp), molecules that protect other proteins from
unfolding and denaturing. Increases of Hsp can be stimulated in Paralvinella by