Cold tolerance and proline metabolic gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster

A tomato a day keeps the beetle away - the impact of Solanaceae glycoalkaloids on energy management in the mealworm Tenebrio molitor

Solanine (SOL), chaconine (CHA), and tomatine (TOM) are plant secondary metabolites produced mainly by the species of Solanaceae family, such as tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. These glycoalkaloids (GAs) have a wide range of biological activity, also in insects. However, their mechanisms of action are not precisely understood. The purpose of the study was to investigate how pure GAs and tomato leaf extract (EXT) affect glycolysis, Krebs cycle and β-oxidation of fatty acid pathways in Tenebrio molitor L. beetle. For this purpose, the larvae were injected with SOL, CHA, TOM, and EXT at two concentrations (10-8 and 10-5 M). For experiments, fat body, gut, and heamolymph samples were collected 2 and 24 h after injection. Then, the changes in the expression level of phosphofructokinase, citrate synthase, and β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase were measured using the RT-qPCR technique. The catalytic activity of these enzymes and the carbohydrate level in insects after GA treatment were determined by spectrophotometric method. Furthermore, the analysis of the amount of amino acids in tissues was performed with a GC-MS technique. The results obtained show that the GAs changed the activity and expression of the genes encoding key enzymes of crucial metabolic pathways. The effect depends on the type of GA compound, the tissue tested, and the incubation time after treatment. Furthermore, TOM and EXT affected trehalose concentration in the insect hemolymph and led to accumulation of amino acids in the fat body. The observed changes may indicate a protein degradation and/or enhanced catabolism reactions for the production of ATP used in detoxification processes. These results suggest that GAs alter energy metabolism in the mealworm T. molitor. The study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms of action of secondary metabolites of plants in insects. This knowledge may allow the design of new natural biopesticides against insect pests because proper energy metabolism is necessary for the survival of the organism.

Metabolomes of bumble bees reared in common garden conditions suggest constitutive differences in energy and toxin metabolism across populations

Cold tolerance of ectotherms can vary strikingly among species and populations. Variation in cold tolerance can reflect differences in genomes and transcriptomes that confer cellular-level protection from cold; additionally, shifts in protein function and abundance can be altered by other cellular constituents as cold-exposed insects often have shifts in their metabolomes. Even without a cold challenge, insects from different populations may vary in cellular composition that could alter cold tolerance, but investigations of constitutive differences in metabolomes across wild populations remain rare. To address this gap, we reared Bombus vosnesenskii queens collected from Oregon and California (USA) that differ in cold tolerance (CTmin = -6 °C and 0 °C, respectively) in common garden conditions, and measured offspring metabolomes using untargeted LC-MS/MS. Oregon bees had higher levels of metabolites associated with carbohydrate (sorbitol, lactitol, maltitol, and sorbitol-6-phosphate) and amino acid (hydroxyproline, ornithine, and histamine) metabolism. Exogenous metabolites, likely derived from the diet, also varied between Oregon and California bees, suggesting population-level differences in toxin metabolism. Overall, our results reveal constitutive differences in metabolomes for bumble bees reared in common garden conditions from queens collected in different locations despite no previous cold exposure.

A general overview of the multifactorial adaptation to cold: biochemical mechanisms and strategies

Cold environments are more frequent than people think. They include deep oceans, cold lakes, snow, permafrost, sea ice, glaciers, cold soils, cold deserts, caves, areas at elevations greater than 3000 m, and also artificial refrigeration systems. These environments are inhabited by a diversity of eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms that must adapt to the hard conditions imposed by cold. This adaptation is multifactorial and includes (i) sensing the cold, mainly through the modification of the liquid-crystalline membrane state, leading to the activation of a two-component system that transduce the signal; (ii) adapting the composition of membranes for proper functions mainly due to the production of double bonds in lipids, changes in hopanoid composition, and the inclusion of pigments; (iii) producing cold-adapted proteins, some of which show modifications in the composition of amino acids involved in stabilizing interactions and structural adaptations, e.g., enzymes with high catalytic efficiency; and (iv) producing ice-binding proteins and anti-freeze proteins, extracellular polysaccharides and compatible solutes that protect cells from intracellular and extracellular ice. However, organisms also respond by reprogramming their metabolism and specifically inducing cold-shock and cold-adaptation genes through strategies such as DNA supercoiling, distinctive signatures in promoter regions and/or the action of CSPs on mRNAs, among others. In this review, we describe the main findings about how organisms adapt to cold, with a focus in prokaryotes and linking the information with findings in eukaryotes.

Complex of Proline-Specific Peptidases in the Genome and Gut Transcriptomes of Tenebrionidae Insects and Their Role in Gliadin Hydrolysis

A detailed analysis of the complexes of proline-specific peptidases (PSPs) in the midgut transcriptomes of the larvae of agricultural pests Tenebrio molitor and Tribolium castaneum and in the genome of T. castaneum is presented. Analysis of the T. castaneum genome revealed 13 PSP sequences from the clans of serine and metal-dependent peptidases, of which 11 sequences were also found in the gut transcriptomes of both tenebrionid species' larvae. Studies of the localization of PSPs, evaluation of the expression level of their genes in gut transcriptomes, and prediction of the presence of signal peptides determining secretory pathways made it possible to propose a set of peptidases that can directly participate in the hydrolysis of food proteins in the larvae guts. The discovered digestive PSPs of tenebrionids in combination with the post-glutamine cleaving cysteine cathepsins of these insects effectively hydrolyzed gliadins, which are the natural food substrates of the studied pests. Based on the data obtained, a hypothetical scheme for the complete hydrolysis of immunogenic gliadin peptides by T. molitor and T. castaneum digestive peptidases was proposed. These results show promise regarding the development of a drug based on tenebrionid digestive enzymes for the enzymatic therapy of celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

VaMYB44 transcription factor from Chinese wild Vitis amurensis negatively regulates cold tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and V. vinifera

Heterologous expression of VaMYB44 gene in Arabidopsis and V. vinifera cv. 'Thompson Seedless' increases cold sensitivity, which is mediated by the interaction of VaMYC2 and VaTIFY5A with VaMYB44 MYB transcription factors play critical roles in plant stress response. However, the function of MYB44 under low temperature stress is largely unknown in grapes. Here, we isolated a VaMYB44 gene from Chinese wild Vitis amurensis acc. 'Shuangyou' (cold-resistant). The VaMYB44 is expressed in various organs and has lower expression levels in stems and young leaves. Exposure of the cold-sensitive V. vinifera cv. 'Thompson Seedless' and cold-resistant 'Shuangyou' grapevines to cold stress (-1 °C) resulted in differential expression of MYB44 in leaves with the former reaching 14 folds of the latter after 3 h of cold stress. Moreover, the expression of VaMYB44 was induced by exogenous ethylene, abscisic acid, and methyl jasmonate in the leaves of 'Shuangyou'. Notably, the subcellular localization assay identified VaMYB44 in the nucleus. Interestingly, heterologous expression of VaMYB44 in Arabidopsis and 'Thompson Seedless' grape increased freezing-induced damage compared to their wild-type counterparts. Accordingly, the transgenic lines had higher malondialdehyde content and electrolyte permeability, and lower activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase. Moreover, the expression levels of some cold resistance-related genes decreased in transgenic lines. Protein interaction assays identified VaMYC2 and VaTIFY5A as VaMYB44 interacting proteins, and VaMYC2 could bind to the VaMYB44 promoter and promote its transcription. In conclusion, the study reveals VaMYB44 as the negative regulator of cold tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis and transgenic grapes, and VaMYC2 and VaTIFY5A are involved in the cold sensitivity of plants by interacting with VaMYB44.

Adaptive changes in energy reserves and effects of body melanization on thermal tolerance in Drosophila simulans

Seasonally polyphenic types have been documented in many Drosophilids, which differ significantly during thermal stress. Although Drosophila simulans is a sibling species to Drosophila melanogaster, both thrive in the temperate and tropical climates, but various climatic factors are expected to impact their distribution and abundance. As a result, D. simulans may use phenotypic plasticity to adapt to colder and drier circumstances in temperate zones, although such studies are less known. In the present study, our main aim was to find a link between adaptive plasticity and thermal tolerance in D. simulans. We characterized two morphs in D. simulans flies based on the abdominal melanization collected from the same locality and season, as this trait is highly associated with the larval developmental conditions. Our results suggested that flies reared from dark and light morph showed significant differences in the basal level of proline, carbohydrates (trehalose, glycogen), and lipids (cuticular lipids and total body lipids) within simulated seasons and morph lineages in D. simulans flies. We further showed that D. simulans reared from dark morph are better adapted to cold conditions, whereas light flies are more adapted to warm conditions. The flies, both from light and dark morph lineages, when reared at 15 °C, showed an increase in the level of total body lipids after acclimation at 0 °C but a decrease in the level of proline and carbohydrates (trehalose, glycogen). Heat acclimation increases glycogen levels in the flies from light morph lineage while decreases trehalose and proline.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Molecular Insights in Overwintering Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Monochamus alternatus, the dominant vector of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Aphelenchida: Aphelenchoididae), has caused immense damage to forest resources. In China, this vector was native to the southern regions but has spread northward recently. To adapt to more challenging environments in the northern winter, M. alternatus has evolved an intricate strategy for overwintering, which remains largely unknown. Herein, we compared the transcriptome data of the overwintering and non-overwintering larvae of M. alternatus larvae to investigate the molecular mechanisms in overwintering. A total of 53.10 GB clean bases and 28, 245 unigenes were obtained by RNA-seq. Analysis of 2597 upregulated and 2429 downregulated unigenes, as well as the enrichment of DEGs showed that many genes and pathways were jointly involved in the overwintering period. Besides, the accuracy of the RNA-seq data was tested by using qPCR experiment involving 13 selected genes. The results revealed that the overwintering process relied largely on the energy allocation trade-off. Specifically, overwintering M. alternatus inhibited energy-intensive activities, such as growth and molting, detoxification, and trehalose transport, and the reserved energy was skewed towards the synthesis of antifreeze compounds and immune response to cope with the deleterious effects of winter.

Metabolic Response of Aphid Cinara tujafilina to Cold Stress

Climate changes enable thermophilic insect species to expand their ranges, but also force them to adapt to unfavourable environmental conditions in new habitats. Focusing on Cinara tujafilina, we investigated the metabolic changes in the body of the aphid that enabled it to survive the low temperatures of winter. Using GC–MS analysis, differences in the chemical composition of the aphids in summer and winter were found. The metabolic changes were mainly related to the increased activity of the pathways of carbohydrate metabolism, such as glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway; a decrease in tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA); accumulation of polyols; and increased levels of proline, tyrosine, and fatty acids.

Divergent metabolomic profiles of cold-exposed mature and immature females of tropical versus temperate Drosophila species

Temperate species, contrary to their tropical counterparts, are exposed not only to thermally variable environments with low temperatures but also to long winters. Different selective pressures may have driven divergent physiological adaptations in closely related species with different biogeographic origins. To survive unfavourable winter conditions, Drosophila species in temperate areas generally undergo a period of reproductive dormancy, associated with a cold-induced cessation of oogenesis and metabolic reorganization. This work aims to compare cold tolerance and metabolic signatures of cold-exposed females exhibiting different reproductive maturity status (mature and immature females) of four Drosophila species from tropical vs. temperate origins. We expected that the capacity for delayed reproduction of immature females could result in the redirection of the energy-related metabolites to be utilized for surviving the cold season. To do so, we studied an array of 45 metabolites using quantitative target GC-MS profiling. Reproductively immature females of temperate species showed the lower CT_min and the faster chill coma recovery time (i.e. the most cold-tolerant group). Principal component analysis captured differences across species, but also between reproductive maturity states. Notably, temperate species exhibited significantly higher levels of glucose, alanine, and gluconolactone than tropical ones. As proline and glycerol showed higher abundances in immature females of temperate species compared to the levels exhibited by the rest of the groups, we reasoned that glucose and alanine could serve as intermediates in the synthesis of these compatible solutes. All in all, our findings suggest that cold-exposed females of temperate species accumulate energy-related and protective metabolites (e.g. glycerol and proline) while delaying reproduction, and that these metabolites are relevant to cold tolerance even at modest concentrations.

Help, there are ‘omics’ in my comparative physiology!

‘Omics’ methods, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics or metabolomics, yield simultaneous measurements of many related molecules in a sample. These approaches have opened new opportunities to generate and test hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying biochemical and physiological phenotypes. In this Commentary, we discuss general approaches and considerations for successfully integrating omics into comparative physiology. The choice of omics approach will be guided by the availability of existing resources and the time scale of the process being studied. We discuss the use of whole-organism extracts (common in omics experiments on small invertebrates) because such an approach may mask underlying physiological mechanisms, and we consider the advantages and disadvantages of pooling samples within biological replicates. These methods can bring analytical challenges, so we describe the most easily analyzed omics experimental designs. We address the propensity of omics studies to digress into ‘fishing expeditions’ and show how omics can be used within the hypothetico-deductive framework. With this Commentary, we hope to provide a roadmap that will help newcomers approach omics in comparative physiology while avoiding some of the potential pitfalls, which include ambiguous experiments, long lists of candidate molecules and vague conclusions.

Effects of brief chilling and desiccation on ion homeostasis in the central nervous system of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria

In insects, chilling, anoxia, and dehydration are cues to trigger rapid physiological responses enhancing stress tolerance within minutes. Recent evidence suggests that responses elicited by different cues are mechanistically distinct from each other, though these differences have received little attention. Further, the effects are not well studied in neural tissue. In this study, we examined how brief exposure to desiccation and chilling affect ion homeostatic mechanisms in metathoracic ganglion of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria. Both desiccation and chilling enhanced resistance to anoxia, though only chilling hastened recovery from anoxic coma. Similarly, only chilling enhanced resistance to pharmacological perturbation of neuronal ion homeostasis. Our results indicate that chilling and desiccation trigger mechanistically distinct responses and, while both may be important for neuronal ion homeostasis, chilling has a larger effect on this tissue. SUMMARY STATEMENT: This is one of few studies to demonstrate the importance of the central nervous system in rapid acclimatory responses in insects.

Gut microbiota promotes host resistance to low-temperature stress by stimulating its arginine and proline metabolism pathway in adult Bactrocera dorsalis

Gut symbiotic bacteria have a substantial impact on host physiology and ecology. However, the contribution of gut microbes to host fitness during long-term low-temperature stress is still unclear. This study examined the role of gut microbiota in host low-temperature stress resistance at molecular and biochemical levels in the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis. The results showed that after the gut bacteria of flies were removed via antibiotic treatment, the median survival time was significantly decreased to approximately 68% of that in conventional flies following exposure to a temperature stress of 10°C. Furthermore, we found that Klebsiella michiganensis BD177 is a key symbiotic bacterium, whose recolonization in antibiotic treated (ABX) flies significantly extended the median survival time to 160% of that in the ABX control, and restored their lifespan to the level of conventional flies. Notably, the relative levels of proline and arginine metabolites were significantly downregulated by 34- and 10-fold, respectively, in ABX flies compared with those in the hemolymph of conventional flies after exposure to a temperature stress of 10°C whereas recolonization of ABX flies by K. michiganensis BD177 significantly upregulated the levels of proline and arginine by 13- and 10- fold, respectively, compared with those found in the hemolymph of ABX flies. qPCR analysis also confirmed that K. michiganensis-recolonized flies significantly stimulated the expression of transcripts from the arginine and proline metabolism pathway compared with the ABX controls, and RNAi mediated silencing of two key genes Pro-C and ASS significantly reduced the survival time of conventional flies, postexposure low-temperature stress. We show that microinjection of L-arginine and L-proline into ABX flies significantly increased their survival time following exposure to temperature stress of 10°C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis further revealed that low-temperature stress caused severe destruction in cristae structures and thus resulted in abnormal circular shapes of mitochondria in ABX flies gut, while the recolonization of live K. michiganensis helped the ABX flies to maintain mitochondrial functionality to a normal status, which is important for the arginine and proline induction. Our results suggest that gut microbiota plays a vital role in promoting the host resistance to low-temperature stress in B. dorsalis by stimulating its arginine and proline metabolism pathway.

Rapid cold hardening: ecological relevance, physiological mechanisms and new perspectives

Rapid cold hardening (RCH) is a type of phenotypic plasticity that allows ectotherms to quickly enhance cold tolerance in response to brief chilling (lasting minutes to hours). In this Review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of this important phenotype and provide new directions for research. As one of the fastest adaptive responses to temperature known, RCH allows ectotherms to cope with sudden cold snaps and to optimize their performance during diurnal cooling cycles. RCH and similar phenotypes have been observed across a diversity of ectotherms, including crustaceans, terrestrial arthropods, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. In addition to its well-defined role in enhancing survival to extreme cold, RCH also protects against nonlethal cold injury by preserving essential functions following cold stress, such as locomotion, reproduction, and energy balance. The capacity for RCH varies across species and across genotypes of the same species, indicating that RCH can be shaped by selection and is likely favored in thermally variable environments. Mechanistically, RCH is distinct from other rapid stress responses in that it typically does not involve synthesis of new gene products; rather, the existing cellular machinery regulates RCH through post-translational signaling mechanisms. However, the protective mechanisms that enhance cold hardiness are largely unknown. We provide evidence that RCH can be induced by multiple triggers in addition to low temperature, and that rapidly induced tolerance and cross-tolerance to a variety of environmental stressors may be a general feature of stress responses that requires further investigation.

Is rapid cold-hardening an aerobic process? Characterization of changes in metabolic activity during its induction and effects of anoxia in flesh fly

Rapid cold-hardening (RCH) is a type of phenotypic plasticity that promotes a swift improvement of cold tolerance in insects. A brief exposure to mild cold dramatically increases insect survival to a subsequent cold exposure that would be lethal otherwise. In adult male flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata, as little as 15 min at 5 °C significantly improved organismal survival at -7°C from 0 to 66.7 ± 11.1%. In this study, we investigated whether this RCH response is an aerobic process in S. bullata by characterizing changes in metabolic activity during its induction. At the level of whole organism, CO₂ production continued at a level above our detection limit, and a relatively greater rate was observed during the early phase before it stabilized after ~1 h of the RCH induction. Similarly, in isolated flight muscle tissues, those maintained at 5 °C for 10 min exhibited significantly greater rates of oxygen consumption, compared to those maintained at 5 °C for 1 h (2.82 ± 0.29 vs. 1.36 ± 0.22 μl O₂ mg^-1 DM h^-1). When these tissues were exposed to LaCl₃, a treatment that should inhibit RCH ex vivo, oxygen consumption rates of the muscles were reduced significantly to a level similar to those that had been maintained at 5 °C for 1 h. Interestingly, however, the RCH response was still evident among individuals exposed to chilling under anoxia. Compared to those exposed to anoxia for 30 min only at 25 °C, flies exposed to 5 °C for 2 h under anoxia following the initial exposure exhibited a significantly greater level of cold tolerance at -7.5 °C (41.7 ± 7.1 vs. 91.8 ± 3.9%). Our results suggest that while relatively greater rates of metabolic activity are associated with the early phase of the RCH induction, it can proceed under the anoxic condition, thereby suggesting its independence to aerobic respiration.

Genomic signatures of experimental adaptive radiation in Drosophila

Abiotic environmental factors play a fundamental role in determining the distribution, abundance and adaptive diversification of species. Empowered by new technologies enabling rapid and increasingly accurate examination of genomic variation in populations, researchers may gain new insights into the genomic background of adaptive radiation and stress resistance. We investigated genomic variation across generations of large-scale experimental selection regimes originating from a single founder population of Drosophila melanogaster, diverging in response to ecologically relevant environmental stressors: heat shock, heat knock down, cold shock, desiccation and starvation. When compared to the founder population, and to parallel unselected controls, there were more than 100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) displaying consistent allelic changes in response to selective pressures across generations. These SNPs were found in both coding and noncoding sequences, with the highest density in promoter regions, and involved a broad range of functionalities, including molecular chaperoning by heat-shock proteins. The SNP patterns were highly stressor-specific despite considerable variation among line replicates within each selection regime, as reflected by a principal component analysis, and co-occurred with selective sweep regions. Only ~15% of SNPs with putatively adaptive changes were shared by at least two selective regimes, while less than 1% of SNPs diverged in opposite directions. Divergent stressors driving evolution in the experimental system of adaptive radiation left distinct genomic signatures, most pronounced in starvation and heat-shock selection regimes.

Cold acclimation conditions constrain plastic responses for resistance to cold and starvation in Drosophila immigrans

In montane Drosophila species, cold-induced plastic changes in energy metabolites are likely developed to cope with cold and starvation stress. Adult Drosophila immigrans reared at 15°C were acclimated at 0°C or 7°C for durations of up to 6 days (fed or unfed conditions). Such flies were tested for plastic changes in resistance to cold or starvation stress as well as for possible accumulation and utilization of four energy metabolites (body lipids, proline, trehalose and glycogen). Adults acclimated at 7°C revealed a greater increase in cold tolerance than flies acclimated at 0°C. Different durations of cold acclimation at 7°C led to increased level of body lipids only in fed flies which were utilized under starvation stress. However, such plastic responses were not observed in the flies acclimated at 0°C, which remained unfed due to chill-coma. These observations suggest a possible role of feeding to improve starvation resistance only in the flies acclimated at 7°C with food. Cold acclimated D. immigrans flies revealed improved cold resistance through a possible reshuffling of trehalose and glycogen; and starvation-induced proline which was utilized under cold stress durations. Finally, greater reduction in mean daily fecundity due to cold or starvation was observed in 0°C acclimated flies as compared to 7°C acclimated flies. Thus, cold acclimation conditions (0°C or 7°C) greatly impact resistance to cold and starvation in D. immigrans.

Summary:Drosophila immigrans flies acclimated at 7°C (on food) showed an increase in body lipids and starvation resistance but there were no such plastic effects for flies acclimated at 0°C.

Exploring the Potential of Biocompatible Osmoprotectants as Highly Efficient Cryoprotectants

Cryoprotectants (CPAs) are critical to successful cryopreservation because they can protect cells from cryoinjuries. Because of the limitations of current CPAs, especially the toxicity, the search for new effective CPAs is attracting increasing attention. In this work, we reported that natural biocompatible osmoprotectants, which could protect cells from osmotic injury in various biological systems, might also be ideal candidates for CPAs. Three representative biocompatible osmoprotectants (proline, glycine, and taurine) were tested and compared. It was found that, aside from presenting a different ability to prevent osmotic injury, these biocompatible osmoprotectants also possessed a different ability to inhibit ice formation and thus mitigate intra-/extracellular ice injury. Because of the strongest ability to prevent the two types of injuries, we found that proline performed the best in cryopreserving five different types of cells. Moreover, the natural osmoprotectants are intrinsically biocompatible with the cells, superior to the current state-of-the-art CPA, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which is a toxic organic solvent. This work opens a new window of opportunity for DMSO-free cryopreservation, and sheds light on the applications of osmoprotectants in cryoprotection, which may revolutionize the current cryopreservation technologies.

Tropical Drosophila ananassae of wet-dry seasons show cross resistance to heat, drought and starvation

Plastic responses to multiple environmental stressors in wet or dry seasonal populations of tropical Drosophila species have received less attention. We tested plastic effects of heat hardening, acclimation to drought or starvation, and changes in trehalose, proline and body lipids in Drosophila ananassae flies reared under wet or dry season-specific conditions. Wet season flies revealed significant increase in heat knockdown, starvation resistance and body lipids after heat hardening. However, accumulation of proline was observed only after desiccation acclimation of dry season flies while wet season flies elicited no proline but trehalose only. Therefore, drought-induced proline can be a marker metabolite for dry-season flies. Further, partial utilization of proline and trehalose under heat hardening reflects their possible thermoprotective effects. Heat hardening elicited cross-protection to starvation stress. Stressor-specific accumulation or utilization as well as rates of metabolic change for each energy metabolite were significantly higher in wet-season flies than dry-season flies. Energy metabolite changes due to inter-related stressors (heat versus desiccation or starvation) resulted in possible maintenance of energetic homeostasis in wet- or dry-season flies. Thus, low or high humidity-induced plastic changes in energy metabolites can provide cross-protection to seasonally varying climatic stressors.

Summary: In the tropical Drosophila ananassae, low or high humidity-induced plastic changes in energy metabolites provide cross-protection to seasonally varying climatic stressors.

Dietary L-arginine accelerates pupation and promotes high protein levels but induces oxidative stress and reduces fecundity and life span in Drosophila melanogaster

L-Arginine, a precursor of many amino acids and of nitric oxide, plays multiple important roles in nutrient metabolism and regulation of physiological functions. In this study, the effects of L-arginine-enriched diets on selected physiological responses and metabolic processes were assessed in Drosophila melanogaster. Dietary L-arginine at concentrations 5-20 mM accelerated larval development and increased body mass, and total protein concentrations in third instar larvae, but did not affect these parameters when diets contained 100 mM arginine. Young (2 days old) adult flies of both sexes reared on food supplemented with 20 and 100 mM L-arginine possessed higher total protein concentrations and lower glucose and triacylglycerol concentrations than controls. Additionally, flies fed 20 mM L-arginine had higher proline and uric acid concentrations. L-Arginine concentration in the diet also affected oxidative stress intensity in adult flies. Food with 20 mM L-arginine promoted lower protein thiol concentrations and higher catalase activity in flies of both sexes and higher concentrations of low molecular mass thiols in males. When flies were fed on a diet with 100 mM L-arginine, lower catalase activities and concentrations of protein thiols were found in both sexes as well as lower low molecular mass thiols in females. L-Arginine-fed males demonstrated higher climbing activity, whereas females showed higher cold tolerance and lower fecundity, compared with controls. Food containing 20 mM L-arginine shortened life span in both males and females. The results suggest that dietary L-arginine shows certain beneficial effects at the larval stage and in young adults. However, the long-term consumption of L-arginine-enriched food had unfavorable effects on D. melanogaster due to decreasing fecundity and life span.

Comparative metabolomics analysis of Callosobruchus chinensis larvae under hypoxia, hypoxia/hypercapnia and normoxia

BACKGROUND

Insect tolerance to low oxygen (hypoxia) and high carbon dioxide (hypercapnia) is critical for insect control. On the basis of bioassay, metabolism profiles were built to investigate adaptive mechanisms in bean weevil under hypoxia (2% O₂ ), hypoxia/hypercapnia (2% O₂ + 18% CO₂ ) and normoxia (control, 20% O₂ + 80% N₂ ) using gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF-MS).

RESULTS

The growth and development of bean weevils were significantly suppressed by the two hypoxia conditions; hypercapnia enhanced the mortality, but after 24 days of exposure, the surviving insects emerged as adults earlier than those under hypoxia only. Metabolism profiles also showed striking differences in metabolites among the treatment and control groups, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Pairwise comparisons of the three groups showed that 61 metabolites changed significantly, 40 in the hypoxia group and 37 in the hypoxia/hypercapnia group relative to the control group, while only 16 were shared equally by the hypoxia and hypoxia/hypercapnia groups. Increased metabolites were mainly carbohydrates, amino acids and organic acids, while free fatty acids were decreased. Furthermore, the changes were strengthened by the addition of hypercapnia, but excluding free fatty acids.

CONCLUSION

The findings show that bean weevil has high tolerance to hypoxia or even hypoxia/hypercapnia at biologically achievable levels and provide more direct evidence for stored product insect mechanism regulation under hypoxia stress, especially free fatty acid regulation by hypercapnia but not by hypoxia. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evolutionary adaptation to environmental stressors: a common response at the proteomic level

Mechanistic trade-offs between traits under selection can shape and constrain evolutionary adaptation to environmental stressors. However, our knowledge of the quantitative and qualitative overlap in the molecular machinery among stress tolerance traits is highly restricted by the challenges of comparing and interpreting data between separate studies and laboratories, as well as to extrapolating between different levels of biological organization. We investigated the expression of the constitutive proteome (833 proteins) of 35 Drosophila melanogaster replicate populations artificially selected for increased resistance to six different environmental stressors. The evolved proteomes were significantly differentiated from replicated control lines. A targeted analysis of the constitutive proteomes revealed a regime-specific selection response among heat-shock proteins, which provides evidence that selection also adjusts the constitutive expression of these molecular chaperones. Although the selection response in some proteins was regime specific, the results were dominated by evidence for a "common stress response." With the exception of high temperature survival, we found no evidence for negative correlations between environmental stress resistance traits, meaning that evolutionary adaptation is not constrained by mechanistic trade-offs in regulation of functional important proteins. Instead, standing genetic variation and genetic trade-offs outside regulatory domains likely constrain the evolutionary responses in natural populations.

Do thermal tolerances and rapid thermal responses contribute to the invasion potential of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)?

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) has shown remarkable range expansion over the past 10years and invaded several new continents including Africa. Here we report results of a detailed assessment of acute high and low temperature survival ability and the plasticity thereof, to test the hypothesis that traits of the thermal niche have contributed to the species' invasion ability. We also assess life-stage-related variation of thermal tolerances to determine potential stage-related environmental sensitivity. The temperatures at which c. 20% of the population survived of B. dorsalis were determined to be -6.5°C and 42.7°C, respectively, when using 2h exposures. Further, four life stages of B. dorsalis (egg, 3rd instar larvae, pupae and adults) were exposed to high and low discriminating temperatures to compare their thermal survival rates. The egg stage was found to be the most resistant life stage to both high and low temperatures, since 44±2.3% survived the low and 60±4.2% survived the high discriminating temperature treatments respectively. Finally, the potential for adult hardening responses to mediate tolerance of extremes was also considered using a diverse range of acute conditions (using 2h exposures to 15°C, 10°C and 5°C and 30°C, 35°C, 37°C and 39°C as hardening temperatures, and some treatments with and without recovery periods between hardening and discriminating temperature treatment). These showed that although some significant hardening responses could be detected in certain treatments (e.g. after exposure to 37°C and 39°C), the magnitude of this plasticity was generally low compared to two other wide-spread and more geographically-range-restricted con-familial species, Ceratitis capitata and C. rosa. In other words, Bactrocera dorsalis adults were unable to rapidly heat- or cold-harden to the same extent as the other Ceratitis species examined to date. These results suggest a narrower thermal niche in B. dorsalis compared to these Ceratitis species - in both basal and plastic terms - and suggests that its geographic distribution might be more restricted in consequence.

Cold and desiccation stress induced changes in the accumulation and utilization of proline and trehalose in seasonal populations of Drosophila immigrans

Changes in the levels of energy metabolites can limit survival ability of Drosophila species under stressful conditions but this aspect has received less attention in wild populations collected in different seasons. We tested cold or desiccation triggered changes in the accumulation or utilization of two energy metabolites (trehalose and proline) in Drosophila immigrans flies reared under season specific environmental conditions. Such D.immigrans populations were subjected to different durations of cold (0°C) or desiccation stress (5% RH) or dual stress. We found stress induced effects of cold vs desiccation on the levels of trehalose as well as for proline. Different durations of cold stress led to accumulation of trehalose while desiccation stress durations revealed utilization of trehalose. In contrast, there was accumulation of proline under desiccation and utilization of proline with cold stress. Since accumulation levels were higher than utilization of each energy metabolite, the effects of dual stress showed additive effect. However, there was no utilization of total body lipids under cold or desiccation stress. We observed significant season specific differences in the amount of energy metabolites but the rate of metabolism did not vary across seasons. Stress triggered changes in trehalose and proline suggest possible link between desiccation and cold tolerance. Finally, stress specific (cold or desiccation) compensatory changes in the levels of trehalose and proline suggest possible energetic homeostasis in D.immigrans living under harsh climatic conditions of montane localities.

Cold acclimation wholly reorganizes the Drosophila melanogaster transcriptome and metabolome

Cold tolerance is a key determinant of insect distribution and abundance, and thermal acclimation can strongly influence organismal stress tolerance phenotypes, particularly in small ectotherms like Drosophila. However, there is limited understanding of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms that confer such impressive plasticity. Here, we use high-throughput mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to compare the transcriptomes and metabolomes of D. melanogaster acclimated as adults to warm (rearing) (21.5 °C) or cold conditions (6 °C). Cold acclimation improved cold tolerance and led to extensive biological reorganization: almost one third of the transcriptome and nearly half of the metabolome were differentially regulated. There was overlap in the metabolic pathways identified via transcriptomics and metabolomics, with proline and glutathione metabolism being the most strongly-supported metabolic pathways associated with increased cold tolerance. We discuss several new targets in the study of insect cold tolerance (e.g. dopamine signaling and Na⁺-driven transport), but many previously identified candidate genes and pathways (e.g. heat shock proteins, Ca²⁺ signaling, and ROS detoxification) were also identified in the present study, and our results are thus consistent with and extend the current understanding of the mechanisms of insect chilling tolerance.

Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Key Gene Expression Differences between Diapausing and Non-Diapausing Adults of Culex pipiens

Diapause is a critical eco-physiological adaptation for winter survival in the West Nile Virus vector, Culex pipiens, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that distinguish diapause from non-diapause in this important mosquito species. We used Illumina RNA-seq to simultaneously identify and quantify relative transcript levels in diapausing and non-diapausing adult females. Among 65,623,095 read pairs, we identified 41 genes with significantly different transcript abundances between these two groups. Transcriptome divergences between these two phenotypes include genes related to juvenile hormone synthesis, anaerobic metabolism, innate immunity and cold tolerance.

PROTEOMICS ANALYSIS OF OVEREXPRESSED PLASMA PROTEINS IN RESPONSE TO COLD ACCLIMATION IN Ostrinia furnacalis

Many insects in temperate regions overwinter in diapause. In these insects, one of the metabolic adaptations to cold stress is the synthesis of responsive proteins. Using proteomic analysis, an investigation aimed to a better understanding of the molecular adaptation mechanisms to cold stress was carried out in Ostrinia furnacalis larva. Proteins were extracted from the larval hemolymph collected from both control and overwintering larva. By polyethylene glycol precipitation, approximately 560 protein spots were separated and visualized on two-dimensional (2D) gels after silver staining. Eighteen protein spots were found to be upregulated in overwinter larval plasma in different patterns. As an initial work, 13 of these proteins were identified using MALDI TOF/TOF MS. The differentially overexpressed proteins include heat shock 70 kDa cognate protein, small heat shock protein (sHSP), putative aliphatic nitrilase, arginine kinase, phosphoglyceromutase, triosephosphateisomerase, and glutathione transferase. Alterations in the levels of these proteins were further confirmed by qPCR. This study is the first analysis of differentially expressed plasma proteins in O. furnacalis diapause larvae under extremely low temperature conditions and gives new insights into the acclimation mechanisms responsive to cold stress. Our results also support the idea that energy metabolism, alanine and proline metabolism, and antioxidative reaction act in the cold acclimation of O. furnacalis diapause larvae.

The limits of drought-induced rapid cold-hardening: extremely brief, mild desiccation triggers enhanced freeze-tolerance in Eurosta solidaginis larvae

Rapid cold-hardening (RCH) is a highly conserved response in insects that induces physiological changes within minutes to hours of exposure to low temperature and provides protection from chilling injury. Recently, a similar response, termed drought-induced RCH, was described following as little as 6h of desiccation, producing a loss of less than 10% of fresh mass. In this study, we investigated the limits and mechanisms of this response in larvae of the goldenrod gall fly Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera, Tephritidae). The cold-hardiness of larvae increased markedly after as few as 2h of desiccation and a loss of less than 1% fresh mass, as organismal survival increased from 8% to 41% following exposure to -18 °C. Tissue-level effects of desiccation were observed within 1h, as 87% of midgut cells from desiccated larvae remained viable following freezing compared to 57% of controls. We also demonstrated that drought-induced RCH occurs independently of neuroendocrine input, as midgut tissue desiccated ex vivo displayed improved freeze-tolerance relative to control tissue (78-11% survival, respectively). Finally, though there was an increase in hemolymph osmolality beyond the expected effects of the osmo-concentration of solutes during dehydration, we determined that this increase was not due to the synthesis of glycerol, glucose, sorbitol, or trehalose. Our results indicate that E. solidaginis larvae are extremely sensitive to desiccation, which is a triggering mechanism for one or more physiological pathways that confer enhanced freeze-tolerance.

Host diapause status and host diets augmented with cryoprotectants enhance cold hardiness in the parasitoid Nasonia vitripennis

Boosting cold hardiness in parasitoids is a goal that is particularly attractive for increasing shelf life and shipment of biological control agents. In the experiments reported here we use the parasitoid Nasonia vitripennis as a model to evaluate manipulations that may be capable of enhancing the wasp's cold tolerance. We altered the parasitoid's cold tolerance by manipulating the wasp's diapause status, the diapause status of the host fly (Sarcophaga crassipalpis), and the diet of the host. Larval diapause in N. vitripennis dramatically increased cold tolerance and the diapause status of the host also exerted a positive, although less dramatic, effect. Augmenting the host fly's diet with supplements of putative cryoprotectants (alanine, proline and glycerol) enhanced cold tolerance in parasitoids that fed on the flies, thus indicating a tri-trophic effect on parasitoid cold tolerance. The most pronounced improvement in cold tolerance was noted in parasitoids fed on fly hosts that had received a diet augmented with proline. These results suggest mechanisms that could be exploited for enhancement of cold tolerance in parasitoids of commercial interest.

Vitamin B6 generated by obligate symbionts is critical for maintaining proline homeostasis and fecundity in tsetse flies

The viviparous tsetse fly utilizes proline as a hemolymph-borne energy source. In tsetse, biosynthesis of proline from alanine involves the enzyme alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGAT), which requires pyridoxal phosphate (vitamin B6) as a cofactor. This vitamin can be synthesized by tsetse's obligate symbiont, Wigglesworthia glossinidia. In this study, we examined the role of Wigglesworthia-produced vitamin B6 for maintenance of proline homeostasis, specifically during the energetically expensive lactation period of the tsetse's reproductive cycle. We found that expression of agat, as well as genes involved in vitamin B6 metabolism in both host and symbiont, increases in lactating flies. Removal of symbionts via antibiotic treatment of flies (aposymbiotic) led to hypoprolinemia, reduced levels of vitamin B6 in lactating females, and decreased fecundity. Proline homeostasis and fecundity recovered partially when aposymbiotic tsetse were fed a diet supplemented with either yeast or Wigglesworthia extracts. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of agat in wild-type flies reduced hemolymph proline levels to that of aposymbiotic females. Aposymbiotic flies treated with agat short interfering RNA (siRNA) remained hypoprolinemic even upon dietary supplementation with microbial extracts or B vitamins. Flies infected with parasitic African trypanosomes display lower hemolymph proline levels, suggesting that the reduced fecundity observed in parasitized flies could result from parasite interference with proline homeostasis. This interference could be manifested by competition between tsetse and trypanosomes for vitamins, proline, or other factors involved in their synthesis. Collectively, these results indicate that the presence of Wigglesworthia in tsetse is critical for the maintenance of proline homeostasis through vitamin B6 production.

The rapid cold hardening response of Drosophila melanogaster: complex regulation across different levels of biological organization

Rapid cold hardening (RCH) is a form of thermal acclimation that allows ectotherms to fine-tune their physiological state to match rapid changes in thermal environment. Despite progress in recent years, there is still a considerable uncertainty regarding the physiological basis of RCH in insects. Here we investigated the physiological response of adult Drosophila melanogaster to a gradual reduction of temperature from 25 to 0°C followed by 1h at 0°C. As expected, this RCH treatment promoted cold tolerance, and so we hypothesized that this change could be detected at the proteomic level. Using 2D-DIGE, we found that only a few proteins significantly changed in abundance, and of these, we identified a set of four proteins of particular interest. These were identified as two different variants of glycogen phosphorylase (GlyP) of which three spots were up-regulated and another was down regulated. In subsequent experiments, we quantified upstream events by measuring the GlyP mRNA amount, but we found no marked effect of RCH. We also examined downstream events by measuring GlyP activity and the level of free sugars. We found no effect of RCH on GlyP activity. On the other hand, screening of whole animal sugar contents revealed a small increase in glucose levels following RCH while trehalose content was unaltered. This study highlights a complex regulation of GlyP in relation to RCH where we found associations between the cold tolerance, the protein abundance and the metabolite concentrations but no changes in mRNA expression and enzyme activity. These data stress the necessity of combining the hypothesis-generating power of an 'Omics' approach with subsequent targeted validations across several levels of the biological organization. We discuss reasons why different biological linked levels do not necessarily change stoichiometrically.

A cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) controls synaptic transmission tolerance to acute oxidative stress at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction

Increasing evidence demonstrates that modulating the cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) pathway produces an array of behavioral phenotypes in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Altering PKG activity, either genetically via the foraging ( for) gene or using pharmacology modifies tolerance to acute abiotic stresses such as hyperthermia and hypoxia. PKG signaling has been shown to modulate neuroprotection in many experimental paradigms of acute brain trauma and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. However, relatively little is known about how this stress-induced neuroprotective mechanism affects neural communication. In this study, we investigated the role PKG activity has on synaptic transmission at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) during acute oxidative stress and found that the application of 2.25 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) disrupts synaptic function by rapidly increasing the rate of neuronal failure. Here, we report that reducing PKG activity through either natural genetic variation or an induced mutation of the for gene increases synaptic tolerance during acute oxidative conditions. Furthermore, pharmacological manipulations revealed that neurotransmission is significantly extended during acute H2O2 exposure upon inhibition of the PKG pathway. Conversely, activation of this signaling cascade using either genetics or pharmacology significantly reduced the time until synaptic failure. Therefore, these findings suggest a potential role for PKG activity to regulate the tolerance of synaptic transmission during acute oxidative stress, where inhibition promotes functional protection while activation increases susceptibility to neurotransmission breakdown.

Rapid cold hardening improves recovery of ion homeostasis and chill coma recovery in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria

Chill tolerance of insects is defined as the ability of insects to tolerate low temperature under circumstances not involving freezing of intra- or extracellular fluids. For many insects chill tolerance is crucial for their ability to persist in cold environments and mounting evidence indicate that chill tolerance is associated with the ability to maintain ion- and water-homeostasis, thereby ensuring muscular function and preventing chill injury at low temperature. The present study describes the relationship between muscle and hemolymph ion-homeostasis and time to regain posture following cold shock (CS, 2h at -4°C) in the chill susceptible locust, Locusta migratoria. This relationship is examined in animals with and without a prior rapid cold hardening treatment (RCH, 2h at 0°C) to investigate the physiological underpinnings of RCH. Cold shock elicited a doubling of hemolymph [K+] and this disturbance was greater in locusts pre-exposed to RCH. Recovery of ion homeostasis was, however, markedly faster in RCH treated animals which correlated well with whole organism performance as hardened individuals regained posture more than 2 minutes faster than non-hardened individuals following CS. The present study indicates that loss and recovery of muscular function is associated with resting membrane potential of excitable membranes as attested from the changes in the equilibrium potential for K+ (EK) following CS. Both hardened and non-hardened animals recovered movement once K+ homeostasis was recovered to a fixed level (EK≈ -41 mV). RCH is therefore not associated with altered sensitivity to ion disturbance but instead a faster recovery of hemolymph [K+].

Global and comparative proteomic profiling of overwintering and developing mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), larvae

BACKGROUND

Mountain pine beetles, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), are native to western North America, but have recently begun to expand their range across the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The requirement for larvae to withstand extremely cold winter temperatures and potentially toxic host secondary metabolites in the midst of their ongoing development makes this a critical period of their lives.

RESULTS

We have uncovered global protein profiles for overwintering mountain pine beetle larvae. We have also quantitatively compared the proteomes for overwintering larvae sampled during autumn cooling and spring warming using iTRAQ methods. We identified 1507 unique proteins across all samples. In total, 33 proteins exhibited differential expression (FDR < 0.05) when compared between larvae before and after a cold snap in the autumn; and 473 proteins exhibited differential expression in the spring when measured before and after a steady incline in mean daily temperature. Eighteen proteins showed significant changes in both autumn and spring samples.

CONCLUSIONS

These first proteomic data for mountain pine beetle larvae show evidence of the involvement of trehalose, 2-deoxyglucose, and antioxidant enzymes in overwintering physiology; confirm and expand upon previous work implicating glycerol in cold tolerance in this insect; and provide new, detailed information on developmental processes in beetles. These results and associated data will be an invaluable resource for future targeted research on cold tolerance mechanisms in the mountain pine beetle and developmental biology in coleopterans.

Myo-inositol as a main metabolite in overwintering flies: seasonal metabolomic profiles and cold stress tolerance in a northern drosophilid fly

Coping with seasonal changes in temperature is an important factor underlying the ability of insects to survive over the harsh winter conditions in the northern temperate zone, and only a few drosophilids have been able to colonize sub-polar habitats. Information on their winter physiology is needed as it may shed light on the adaptive mechanisms of overwintering when compared with abundant data on the thermal physiology of more southern species, such as Drosophila melanogaster. Here we report the first seasonal metabolite analysis in a Drosophila species. We traced changes in the cold tolerance and metabolomic profiles in adult Drosophila montana flies that were exposed to thermoperiods and photoperiods similar to changes in environmental conditions of their natural habitat in northern Finland. The cold tolerance of diapausing flies increased noticeably towards the onset of winter; their chill coma recovery times showed a seasonal minimum between late autumn and early spring, whereas their survival after cold exposure remained high until late spring. The flies had already moderately accumulated glucose, trehalose and proline in autumn, but the single largest change occurred in myo-inositol concentrations. This increased up to 400-fold during the winter and peaked at 147 nmol mg(-1) fresh mass, which is among the largest reported accumulations of this compound in insects.

Expression of genes involved in energy mobilization and osmoprotectant synthesis during thermal and dehydration stress in the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica

The Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, experiences sub-zero temperatures and desiccating conditions for much of the year, and in response to these environmental insults, larvae undergo rapid shifts in metabolism, mobilizing carbohydrate energy reserves to promote synthesis of low-molecular-mass osmoprotectants. In this study, we measured the expression of 11 metabolic genes in response to thermal and dehydration stress. During both heat and cold stress, we observed upregulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck) and glycogen phosphorylase (gp) to support rapid glucose mobilization. In contrast, there was a general downregulation of pathways related to polyol, trehalose, and proline synthesis during both high- and low-temperature stress. Pepck was likewise upregulated in response to different types of dehydration stress; however, for many of the other genes, expression patterns depended on the nature of dehydration stress. Following fast dehydration, expression patterns were similar to those observed during thermal stress, i.e., upregulation of gp accompanied by downregulation of trehalose and proline synthetic genes. In contrast, gradual, prolonged dehydration (both at a constant temperature and in conjunction with chilling) promoted marked upregulation of genes responsible for trehalose and proline synthesis. On the whole, our data agree with known metabolic adaptations to stress in B. antarctica, although a few discrepancies between gene expression patterns and downstream metabolite contents point to fluxes that are not controlled at the level of transcription.

The impacts of repeated cold exposure on insects

Insects experience repeated cold exposure (RCE) on multiple time scales in natural environments, yet the majority of studies of the effects of cold on insects involve only a single exposure. Three broad groups of experimental designs have been employed to examine the effects of RCE on insect physiology and fitness, defined by the control treatments: 'RCE vs cold', which compares RCE with constant cold conditions; 'RCE vs warm', which compares RCE with constant warm conditions; and 'RCE vs matched cold' which compares RCE with a prolonged period of cold matched by time to the RCE condition. RCE are generally beneficial to immediate survival, and increase cold hardiness relative to insects receiving a single prolonged cold exposure. However, the effects of RCE depend on the study design, and RCE vs warm studies cannot differentiate between the effects of cold exposure in general vs RCE in particular. Recent studies of gene transcription, immune function, feeding and reproductive output show that the responses of insects to RCE are distinct from the responses to single cold exposures. We suggest that future research should attempt to elucidate the mechanistic link between physiological responses and fitness parameters. We also recommend that future RCE experiments match the time spent at the stressful low temperature in all experimental groups, include age controls where appropriate, incorporate a pilot study to determine time and intensity of exposure, and measure sub-lethal impacts on fitness.

Combined transcriptomic and metabolomic approach uncovers molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in a temperate flesh fly

The ability to respond rapidly to changes in temperature is critical for insects and other ectotherms living in variable environments. In a physiological process termed rapid cold-hardening (RCH), exposure to nonlethal low temperature allows many insects to significantly increase their cold tolerance in a matter of minutes to hours. Additionally, there are rapid changes in gene expression and cell physiology during recovery from cold injury, and we hypothesize that RCH may modulate some of these processes during recovery. In this study, we used a combination of transcriptomics and metabolomics to examine the molecular mechanisms of RCH and cold shock recovery in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata. Surprisingly, out of ∼15,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) measured, no transcripts were upregulated during RCH, and likewise RCH had a minimal effect on the transcript signature during recovery from cold shock. However, during recovery from cold shock, we observed differential expression of ∼1,400 ESTs, including a number of heat shock proteins, cytoskeletal components, and genes from several cell signaling pathways. In the metabolome, RCH had a slight yet significant effect on several metabolic pathways, while cold shock resulted in dramatic increases in gluconeogenesis, amino acid synthesis, and cryoprotective polyol synthesis. Several biochemical pathways showed congruence at both the transcript and metabolite levels, indicating that coordinated changes in gene expression and metabolism contribute to recovery from cold shock. Thus, while RCH had very minor effects on gene expression, recovery from cold shock elicits sweeping changes in gene expression and metabolism along numerous cell signaling and biochemical pathways.

Long-term cold acclimation extends survival time at 0°C and modifies the metabolomic profiles of the larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

BACKGROUND

Drosophila melanogaster is a chill-susceptible insect. Previous studies on this fly focused on acute direct chilling injury during cold shock and showed that lower lethal temperature (LLT, approximately -5°C) exhibits relatively low plasticity and that acclimations, both rapid cold hardening (RCH) and long-term cold acclimation, shift the LLT by only a few degrees at the maximum.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We found that long-term cold acclimation considerably improved cold tolerance in fully grown third-instar larvae of D. melanogaster. A comparison of the larvae acclimated at constant 25°C with those acclimated at constant 15°C followed by constant 6°C for 2 d (15°C→6°C) showed that long-term cold acclimation extended the lethal time for 50% of the population (Lt(50)) during exposure to constant 0°C as much as 630-fold (from 0.137 h to 86.658 h). Such marked physiological plasticity in Lt(50) (in contrast to LLT) suggested that chronic indirect chilling injury at 0°C differs from that caused by cold shock. Long-term cold acclimation modified the metabolomic profiles of the larvae. Accumulations of proline (up to 17.7 mM) and trehalose (up to 36.5 mM) were the two most prominent responses. In addition, restructuring of the glycerophospholipid composition of biological membranes was observed. The relative proportion of glycerophosphoethanolamines (especially those with linoleic acid at the sn-2 position) increased at the expense of glycerophosphocholines.

CONCLUSION

Third-instar larvae of D. melanogaster improved their cold tolerance in response to long-term cold acclimation and showed metabolic potential for the accumulation of proline and trehalose and for membrane restructuring.

Protein synthesis rates in Drosophila associate with levels of the hsr-omega nuclear transcript

Transcripts of the Drosophila hsr-omega gene are known to interact with RNA processing factors and ribosomes and are postulated to aid in co-ordinating nuclear and cytoplasmic activities particularly in stressed cells. However, the significance of these interactions for physiological processes and in turn for whole-organism fitness remains an open question. Because hsr-omega's cellular expression characteristics suggest it may influence protein synthesis, and because both genotypic and expression variation of hsr-omega have been associated with thermotolerance, we characterised 30 lines for variation in the rates of protein synthesis, measured in ovarian tissues, both before and after a mild heat shock, and for basal levels of the two main hsr-omega transcripts, omega-n and omega-c. As expected, the mild heat shock reduced protein synthesis rates. Large variation occurred among lines in levels of omega-n which was negatively associated with rates of basal protein synthesis--a result that supports the model for the cellular function of omega-n. Furthermore, omega-n levels were associated with hsr-omega genotype of the line parents. Little variation occurred among lines for omega-c levels and no associations were detected with protein synthesis or genotype. Since protein synthesis is a fundamental process for growth and development, we characterised the lines for several life-history traits; however, no associations with protein synthesis, omega-n or omega-c levels were detected. Our results are consistent with the idea that natural variation in hsr-omega expression influence rates of protein synthesis in this species.

Embryonic diapause highlighted by differential expression of mRNAs for ecdysteroidogenesis, transcription and lipid sparing in the cricket Allonemobius socius

Embryos of the ground cricket, Allonemobius socius, enter diapause 4-5 days post-oviposition and overwinter in this dormant state that is characterized by developmental arrest. Suppressive subtractive hybridization and quantitative real-time PCR reveal eight candidate genes in pre-diapause embryos that show promise as regulators of diapause entry, when compared with embryos not destined for diapause. Identifications are based both on the magnitude/consistency of differential mRNA abundances and the predicted functions of their products when placed in context of the physiological and biochemical events of diapause characterized in our companion paper. The proteins CYP450, AKR and RACK1 (associated with ecdysteroid synthesis and signaling) are consistently upregulated in pre-diapause, followed by major downregulation later in diapause. The pattern suggests that elevated ecdysone may facilitate onset of diapause in A. socius. Upregulation seen for the transcription factors Reptin and TFDp2 may serve to depress transcription and cell cycle progression. Cathpesin B-like protease, ACLY and MSP are three downregulated genes associated with yolk mobilization and/or metabolism that we predict may promote lipid sparing. Finally, embryos that have been in diapause for 10 days show a substantially different pattern of mRNA expression compared with either pre-diapause or embryos not destined for diapause, with the majority of mRNAs examined being downregulated. These transcript levels in later diapause suggest that a number of upregulated genes in pre-diapause are transiently expressed and are less essential as diapause progresses.

Selection for cold resistance alters gene transcript levels in Drosophila melanogaster

Microarrays have been used to examine changes in gene expression underlying responses to selection for increased stress resistance in Drosophila melanogaster, but changes in expression patterns associated with increased resistance to cold stress have not been previously reported. Here we describe such changes in basal expression levels in replicate lines following selection for increased resistance to chill coma stress. We found significant up- or down-regulation of expression in 94 genes on the Affymetrix Genome 2.0 array. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to confirm changes in expression of six genes. Some of the identified genes had previously been associated with stress resistance but no previously identified candidate genes for cold resistance showed altered patterns of expression. Seven differentially expressed genes that form a tight chromosomal cluster and an unlinked gene AnnX may be potentially important for cold adaptation in natural populations. Artificial selection for chill coma resistance therefore altered basal patterns of gene expression, but we failed to link these changes to plastic changes in expression under cold stress or to previously identified candidate genes for components of cold resistance.

Membrane remodeling and glucose in Drosophila melanogaster: a test of rapid cold-hardening and chilling tolerance hypotheses

Insect cold tolerance varies at both the population and species levels. Carbohydrate cryoprotectants and membrane remodeling are two main mechanisms hypothesised to increase chilling tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster, as part of both long-term (i.e., evolutionary) change and rapid cold-hardening (RCH). We used cold-selected lines of D. melanogaster with and without a pre-exposure that induces RCH to test three hypotheses: (1) that increased cold tolerance would be associated with increased free glucose; (2) that increased cold tolerance would be associated with desaturation of membrane phospholipid fatty acids; and (3) that increased cold tolerance would be associated with a change in phospholipid head group composition. We used colourimetric assays to measure free glucose and a combination of thin layer chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography to measure membrane composition. We observed a consistent decrease in free glucose with RCH, and no relationship between free glucose and basal cold tolerance. Also, phospholipid head group ratios and fatty acid composition showed no change following an RCH treatment. Thus, we conclude that changes in free glucose and membrane composition are unlikely to be significant determinants of variation in cold tolerance of D. melanogaster.