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Biology

Western University

Series

Cold tolerance

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How Crickets Become Freeze Tolerant: The Transcriptomic Underpinnings Of Acclimation In Gryllus Veletis, Jantina Toxopeus, Lauren E. Des Marteaux, Brent J. Sinclair Mar 2019

How Crickets Become Freeze Tolerant: The Transcriptomic Underpinnings Of Acclimation In Gryllus Veletis, Jantina Toxopeus, Lauren E. Des Marteaux, Brent J. Sinclair

Biology Publications

Some ectotherms can survive internal ice formation. In temperate regions, freeze tolerance is often induced by decreasing temperature and/or photoperiod during autumn. However, we have limited understanding of how seasonal changes in physiology contribute to freeze tolerance, and how these changes are regulated. During a six week autumn-like acclimation, late-instar juveniles of the spring field cricket Gryllus veletis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) become freeze tolerant, which is correlated with accumulation of low molecular weight cryoprotectants, elevation of the temperature at which freezing begins, and metabolic rate suppression. We used RNA-Seq to assemble a de novo transcriptome of this emerging laboratory model for …


Laboratory Acclimation To Autumn-Like Conditions Induces Freeze Tolerance In The Spring Field Cricket Gryllus Veletis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), Jantina Toxopeus, Alexander H. Mckinnon, Tomáš Štětina, Kurtis F. Turnbull, Brent J Sinclair Jan 2019

Laboratory Acclimation To Autumn-Like Conditions Induces Freeze Tolerance In The Spring Field Cricket Gryllus Veletis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), Jantina Toxopeus, Alexander H. Mckinnon, Tomáš Štětina, Kurtis F. Turnbull, Brent J Sinclair

Biology Publications

Many temperate insects encounter temperatures low enough to freeze their body fluids. Remarkably, some insects are freeze-tolerant, surviving this internal ice formation. However, the mechanisms underlying freeze tolerance are not well-understood, in part due to a lack of tractable model organisms. We describe a novel laboratory model to study insect freeze tolerance, the spring field cricket Gryllus veletis (Orthopera: Gryllidae). Following acclimation to six weeks of decreasing temperature and photoperiod, G. veletis become freeze-tolerant, similar to those exposed to natural autumn conditions in London, Ontario, Canada. Acclimated crickets suppress their metabolic rate by c. 33%, and survive freezing for up …


Thermal Biology And Immersion Tolerance Of The Beringian Pseudoscorpion Wyochernes 4 Asiaticus, Susan E. Anthony, Christopher M. Buddle, Brent J Sinclair Dec 2015

Thermal Biology And Immersion Tolerance Of The Beringian Pseudoscorpion Wyochernes 4 Asiaticus, Susan E. Anthony, Christopher M. Buddle, Brent J Sinclair

Biology Publications

Wyochernes asiaticus (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Chernetidae) is a pseudoscorpion distributed across Beringia, the areas of Yukon, Alaska and Siberia that remained unglaciated at the last glacial maximum. Along with low temperatures, its streamside habitat suggests that submergence during flood events is an important physiological challenge for this species. We collected W. asiaticus in midsummer from 66.8N Yukon Territory, Canada, and measured thermal and immersion tolerance. Wyochernes asiaticus is freeze-avoidant, with a mean supercooling point of -6.9 C. It remains active at low temperatures (mean critical thermal minimum, CTmin, is -3.6 C) and has a critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of 37.8 C, …


Cold Hardiness And Deacclimation Of Overwintering Papilio Zelicaon Pupae, Caroline M. Williams, Nicolai Annegret, Brent J. Sinclair, Laura V. Ferguson, Mark A. Bernards, Jessica J. Hellmann Dec 2014

Cold Hardiness And Deacclimation Of Overwintering Papilio Zelicaon Pupae, Caroline M. Williams, Nicolai Annegret, Brent J. Sinclair, Laura V. Ferguson, Mark A. Bernards, Jessica J. Hellmann

Biology Publications

Seasonally-acquired cold tolerance can be reversed at warm temperatures, leaving temperate ectotherms vulnerable to cold snaps. However, deacclimation, and its underlying mechanisms, has not been well-explored in insects. Swallowtail butterflies are widely distributed but in some cases their range is limited by low temperature and their cold tolerance is seasonally acquired, implying that they experience mortality resulting from deacclimation. We investigated cold tolerance and hemolymph composition of Anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) pupae during overwintering in the laboratory, and after four days exposure to warm temperatures in spring. Overwintering pupae had supercooling points around − 20.5 °C and survived …