Conversion of the chill susceptible fruit fly larva (Drosophila melanogaster) to a freeze tolerant organism

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Main Authors: Košťál, V. (Vladimír), Šimek, P. (Petr), Zahradníčková, H. (Helena), Cimlová, J. (Jana), Štětina, T.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: insect cold tolerance; long-term storage; metabolomics; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1119986109; http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0208325

This paper shows that mechanisms of freeze-tolerance studied by us previously in subarctic fly Chymomyza costata can be applied to a fruit fly of tropical origin with a weak innate capacity to tolerate even mild chilling. We found that surprisingly simple laboratory manipulations can change the chill susceptible insect to the freeze-tolerant one. Larvae of Drosophila melanogaster can then survive at subzero temperatures when approximately 50% of their body water turns to ice crystals. To achieve this goal, synergy of two fundamental prerequisites is required: (a) shutdown of larval development, including all the chill sensitive processes linked to it, by exposing larvae to low but above-lethal temperatures (quiescence), and (b) incorporating the free amino acid proline in tissues by feeding larvae a proline-augmented diet (cryopreservation).