Insect Cold-Hardiness and Diapause: Regulatory Relationships

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Lee 9728573 Collaborative research between the PIs' will focus on physiological mechanisms used by insects for overwinter survival. This study examines mechanisms utilized by two types of insects, one that can not tolerate freezing (a flesh fly) and one that tolerates extensive internal freezing (the gall fly larvae). The first part of the project will characterize cold shock (stress) proteins and their genes in relation to their role in cold tolerance. The second part examines the nature of cellular cold hardening and intracellular freeze tolerance. Lastly the PIs' will investigate the role of glycerol in protecting the nervous system against cold shock injury. This work will not only provide an understanding of new mechanisms of cold tolerance, but may also provide new tools both for the disruption of insect pest populations, and for the long-term storage of insects and other organisms at low temperature.