Insect Cold-Hardiness and Diapause: Regulatory Relationships

迈阿密大学和俄亥俄州立大学的研究人员将合作研究昆虫用于冬季生存的生理和生态机制。许多越冬昆虫同时暴露在寒冷和干燥的条件下。由于冷冻和干燥都会使细胞干燥，所以这项研究的目的是确定对这些压力的生理反应是否相似。研究人员将利用两个昆虫模型，一个是不能耐受冰冻的物种(肉蝇)，另一个是耐受广泛内部冰冻的物种(胆小蝇幼虫)，进行一系列野外和实验室研究，以确定与保护性生理反应(包括离子调节和应激蛋白)有关的生物和细胞生存的极限。这些研究的结果可能表明，防止干燥胁迫的适应是否可能导致昆虫耐寒性的进化。此外，这项工作可能为害虫种群的破坏以及昆虫和其他生物在低温下的长期储存提供新的工具。

Collaborative research between investigators at Miami University and Ohio State University will focus on physiological and ecological mechanisms used by insects for winter survival. Many overwintering insects are exposed simultaneously to cold and desiccating conditions. Since both freezing and desiccation subject cells to drying, the goal of this research is to determine whether physiological responses to these stresses are similar. Using two insect models, one species that cannot tolerate freezing (a flesh fly) and one that tolerates extensive internal freezing (a gall fly larvae), the investigators will conduct a series of field and laboratory studies to determine the limits of organismal and cellular survival in relation to protective physiological responses including ion regulation and stress proteins. The results of these studies may indicate whether adaptations protecting against desiccation stress could have given rise to the evolution of insect cold-hardiness. Furthermore, this work may 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.