Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 109, Issue 9, Pages 3270-3274Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1119986109
Keywords
insect cold tolerance; long-term storage; metabolomics; cryoprotection; quiescence
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Funding
- Czech Science Foundation [206/07/0269, 203/09/2014, P206/10/2401]
- Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic [NT11513-5/2010]
- Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic [Z50070508]
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Among vertebrates, only a few species of amphibians and reptiles tolerate the formation of ice crystals in their body fluids. Freeze tolerance is much more widespread in invertebrates, especially in overwintering insects. Evolutionary adaptations for freeze tolerance are considered to be highly complex. Here we show that surprisingly simple laboratory manipulations can change the chill susceptible insect to the freeze tolerant one. Larvae of Drosophila melanogaster, a fruit fly of tropical origin with a weak innate capacity to tolerate mild chilling, can survive when approximately 50% of their body water freezes. To achieve this goal, synergy of two fundamental prerequisites is required: (i) shutdown of larval development by exposing larvae to low temperatures (dormancy) and (ii) incorporating the free amino acid proline in tissues by feeding larvae a proline-augmented diet (cryopreservation).
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