Insect cross-tolerance to freezing and drought stress: role of metabolic rearrangement

0558034 - BC 2023 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Hůla, Petr - Moos, Martin - Des Marteaux, Lauren E. - Šimek, Petr - Košťál, Vladimír … Total 6 authors
Insect cross-tolerance to freezing and drought stress: role of metabolic rearrangement.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences. Roč. 289, JUN 8 (2022), č. článku 20220308. ISSN 0962-8452. E-ISSN 1471-2954
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA19-13381S
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : cross-tolerance * cold * freezing
OECD category: Biology (theoretical, mathematical, thermal, cryobiology, biological rhythm), Evolutionary biology
Impact factor: 4.7, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0308

The accumulation of trehalose has been suggested as a mechanism underlying insect cross-tolerance to cold/freezing and drought. Here we show that exposing diapausing larvae of the drosophilid fly, Chymomyza costata to dry conditions significantly stimulates their freeze tolerance. It does not, however, improve their tolerance to desiccation, nor does it significantly affect trehalose concentrations. Next, we use metabolomics to compare the complex alterations to intermediary metabolism pathways in response to three environmental factors with different ecological meanings: environmental drought (an environmental stressor causing mortality), decreasing ambient temperatures (an acclimation stimulus for improvement of cold hardiness), and short days (an environmental signal inducing diapause). We show that all three factors trigger qualitatively similar metabolic rearrangement and a similar phenotypic outcome - improved larval freeze tolerance. The similarities in metabolic response include (but are not restricted to) the accumulation of typical compatible solutes and the accumulation of energy-rich molecules (phosphagens). Based on these results, we suggest that transition to metabolic suppression (a state in which chemical energy demand is relatively low but need for stabilization of macromolecules is high) represents a common axis of metabolic pathway reorganization towards accumulation of non-toxic cytoprotective compounds, which in turn stimulates larval freeze tolerance.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0338577