Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Preservation of potassium balance is strongly associated with insect cold tolerance in the field: a seasonal study of Drosophila subobscura

Macmillan, Heath A ; Schou, Mads F LU ; Kristensen, Torsten N and Overgaard, Johannes (2016) In Biology letters 12.
Abstract
There is interest in pinpointing genes and physiological mechanisms explaining intra- and interspecific variations in cold tolerance, because thermal tolerance phenotypes strongly impact the distribution and abundance of wild animals. Laboratory studies have highlighted that the capacity to preserve water and ion homeostasis is linked to low temperature survival in insects. It remains unknown, however, whether adaptive seasonal acclimatization in free-ranging insects is governed by the same physiological mechanisms. Here, we test whether cold tolerance in field-caught Drosophila subobscura is high in early spring and lower during summer and whether this transition is associated with seasonal changes in the capacity of flies to preserve... (More)
There is interest in pinpointing genes and physiological mechanisms explaining intra- and interspecific variations in cold tolerance, because thermal tolerance phenotypes strongly impact the distribution and abundance of wild animals. Laboratory studies have highlighted that the capacity to preserve water and ion homeostasis is linked to low temperature survival in insects. It remains unknown, however, whether adaptive seasonal acclimatization in free-ranging insects is governed by the same physiological mechanisms. Here, we test whether cold tolerance in field-caught Drosophila subobscura is high in early spring and lower during summer and whether this transition is associated with seasonal changes in the capacity of flies to preserve water and ion balance during cold stress. Indeed, flies caught during summer were less cold tolerant, and exposure of these flies to sub-zero temperatures caused a loss of haemolymph water and increased the concentration of K+ in the haemolymph (as in laboratory-reared insects). This pattern of ion and water balance disruption was not observed in more cold-tolerant flies caught in early spring. Thus, we here provide a field verification of hypotheses based on laboratory studies and conclude that the ability to maintain ion homeostasis is important for the ability of free-ranging insects to cope with chilling. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cold stress, haemolymph, ion balance, osmoregulation, plasticity, field tests
in
Biology letters
volume
12
article number
20160123
pages
4 pages
publisher
Royal Society Publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:84969638903
ISSN
1744-9561
DOI
10.1098/rsbl.2016.0123
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
820b39d4-cee8-4e25-b633-38fa9083e297
date added to LUP
2017-12-18 09:45:30
date last changed
2022-04-01 21:26:41
@article{820b39d4-cee8-4e25-b633-38fa9083e297,
  abstract     = {{There is interest in pinpointing genes and physiological mechanisms explaining intra- and interspecific variations in cold tolerance, because thermal tolerance phenotypes strongly impact the distribution and abundance of wild animals. Laboratory studies have highlighted that the capacity to preserve water and ion homeostasis is linked to low temperature survival in insects. It remains unknown, however, whether adaptive seasonal acclimatization in free-ranging insects is governed by the same physiological mechanisms. Here, we test whether cold tolerance in field-caught Drosophila subobscura is high in early spring and lower during summer and whether this transition is associated with seasonal changes in the capacity of flies to preserve water and ion balance during cold stress. Indeed, flies caught during summer were less cold tolerant, and exposure of these flies to sub-zero temperatures caused a loss of haemolymph water and increased the concentration of K+ in the haemolymph (as in laboratory-reared insects). This pattern of ion and water balance disruption was not observed in more cold-tolerant flies caught in early spring. Thus, we here provide a field verification of hypotheses based on laboratory studies and conclude that the ability to maintain ion homeostasis is important for the ability of free-ranging insects to cope with chilling.}},
  author       = {{Macmillan, Heath A and Schou, Mads F and Kristensen, Torsten N and Overgaard, Johannes}},
  issn         = {{1744-9561}},
  keywords     = {{cold stress; haemolymph; ion balance; osmoregulation; plasticity; field tests}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
  series       = {{Biology letters}},
  title        = {{Preservation of potassium balance is strongly associated with insect cold tolerance in the field: a seasonal study of Drosophila subobscura}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0123}},
  doi          = {{10.1098/rsbl.2016.0123}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}