Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marketa Hejnikova, Marcela Nouzova, Cesar E. Ramirez, Francisco Fernandez-Lima, Fernando Gabriel Noriega, David Dolezel
Summary: Diapause is a major survival strategy for insects in harsh seasons, and there are gender differences in diapause regulation in the linden bug. Juvenile hormone III skipped bisepoxide (JHSB3) levels and diapause termination dynamics vary between males and females of Pyrrhocoris apterus.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Alois Honek, Zdenka Martinkova
Summary: This study investigated the benefits of copulation with large males in the firebug species, Pyrrhocoris apterus. The results showed that increasing male body size did not have a positive effect on the reproductive characteristics of females. Several reasons for this deficiency were discussed.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Ondrichova, Helena Sterbova, Jiri Danihlik, Jana Jemelkova, Marketa Hejnikova, Michal Sery, Dalibor Kodrik
Summary: In this study, the impact of honeybee venom on the firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus was investigated. The results showed that venom injection increased the level of adipokinetic hormone (AKH) in the firebug, activating defense responses. Histamine levels in the gut and hemolymph were also affected by venom and AKH. Vitellogenin levels decreased after venom application, indicating its role in defensive responses. However, the effect of venom on digestive enzymes was minimal, suggesting the presence of alternative defense mechanisms.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Hongtao Zhang, Khadije El Kadi, Mohamed I. Hassan Ali, Isam Janajreh
Summary: This study focuses on the experimental investigation of ice nucleation during the freezing of brine droplets. The effects of droplet size, salinity, and freezing temperature on nucleation behavior are examined. The results show that smaller droplets have faster cooling rates, reduced supercooling degrees, and quicker nucleation onset. Higher droplet salinity leads to decreased nucleation temperatures, while lower freezing temperatures enhance cooling rates and reduce nucleation times.
Article
Entomology
Helmut Kafer, Helmut Kovac, Anton Stabentheiner
Summary: Ambient temperature plays a crucial role in the thriving and propagation of Pyrrhocoris apterus, an ectothermic insect species. Despite potentially exceeding thermal limits, the bugs are able to survive and reproduce, with individuals seeking favorable temperatures for hibernation in winter. This study highlights the importance of considering microhabitat temperature variations in predicting the spread of invasive species.
Review
Entomology
Mary Morgan-Richards, Craig J. Marshall, Patrick J. Biggs, Steven A. Trewick
Summary: The alpine insect fauna of Aotearoa/New Zealand can survive freezing at any time of the year, and the role of microbes living in their guts in facilitating this freezing tolerance is considered. Many bacteria and fungi produce ice-nucleating agents that mediate ice crystal formation, which can have both positive and negative impacts on insects. Insects that are freeze-tolerant start freezing at high sub-zero temperatures, producing small ice crystals with the help of ice-nucleating agents. Gut microbes in New Zealand insects may provide ice-nucleating active compounds that moderate freezing, and there could be potential transmission pathways of shared gut fauna. Despite years of research, the role of exogenous ice-nucleating agents in freeze-tolerant insects has been neglected.
Article
Entomology
Hamzeh Izadi, Elahe Tamanadar, Jahangir Khajehali, Hosein Samadieh
Summary: The cold tolerance and supercooling point (SCP) of the saffron mite were measured in three populations and two temperature regimes. The result showed that the mean SCP of the saffron mite was approximately -14.6°C without significant difference among the populations. Exposure to -5.0°C for 24 hours resulted in the lowest survival rate of about 60%. Overall, there were no significant physiological differences between populations of the saffron mite, suggesting their susceptibility to cold temperatures.
EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Physiology
Joanna Kotwica-Rolinska, Milena Damulewicz, Lenka Chodakova, Lucie Kristofova, David Dolezel
Summary: Daily and annually cycling conditions on Earth have led organisms to develop time-measuring devices. Circadian clocks adjust physiology to daily cycles, while the photoperiodic clock anticipates seasonal changes. In insects, the neuropeptide Pigment Dispersing Factor (PDF) plays a crucial role. This study provides new insight into the role of PDF in the circadian and photoperiodic systems of the linden bug.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Lukas Kucera, Martin Moos, Tomas Stetina, Jaroslava Korbelova, Petr Vodrazka, Lauren Des Marteaux, Robert Grgac, Petr Hula, Jan Rozsypal, Milos Faltus, Petr Simek, Radislav Sedlacek, Vladimir Kostal
Summary: This study identifies and quantifies multiple cryoprotectants in larval tissues of a subarctic fly, which could inspire the development of laboratory cryoprotectant formulations for cryopreservation. The artificial mixtures of cryoprotectants mimic the concentrations in hemolymph of freeze-tolerant larvae and exhibit cryoprotective effects. The study also suggests that trehalose stimulates the transition to the amorphous glass phase, while proline forms a layer of dense viscoelastic liquid, both protecting macromolecules and cells from thermomechanical shocks associated with freezing.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biology
Nishaka William, Jason P. Acker
Summary: Recent advancements in organ preservation have shown the importance of using machine perfusion systems or sub-zero storage temperatures. Success has been seen in the past two decades within the range of 0 degrees Celsius to -20 degrees Celsius. Leveraging mechanisms from organisms capable of avoiding or tolerating ice formation in low temperature environments has provided a foundation for translating these strategies to mammalian organ preservation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sean Boyd, Tadros Ghobrial, Mark Loewen
Summary: Heat loss from the water surface is the key factor driving supercooling and ice formation in northern rivers. Accurately estimating the different heat components is crucial for modeling supercooling. Analysis of observed data and calculated surface heat budget revealed that longwave radiation was the dominant cooling heat flux, while shortwave radiation was the dominant warming heat flux.
COLD REGIONS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sean Boyd, Tadros Ghobrial, Mark Loewen, Martin Jasek, Joel Evans
Summary: This study deployed high-precision water temperature loggers on three regulated rivers in Alberta, Canada and detected 696 supercooling events, analyzing their characteristics. The results revealed that relatively frequent, long-duration supercooling events occur, and dam regulation and urbanization may have a significant impact on supercooling in rivers.
COLD REGIONS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Fisaha S. Unduche, John C. Doering
Summary: This paper presents a mathematical model for the formation and evolution of surface ice, which simulates the supercooling process reasonably well for all surface ice conditions.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Vimbai L. Tarusikirwa, Reyard Mutamiswa, Frank Chidawanyika, Casper Nyamukondiwa
Summary: The study shows that larvae and adults of Tuta absoluta have some cold tolerance, with larvae being more cold hardy than adults. Ecological factors such as inoculative freezing, cooling rates, fasting, and dehydration status may affect their cold hardiness.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Vincent McFarlane, Shawn P. Clark
Summary: This study focused on the energy budget of supercooling and ice formation in the Dauphin River, revealing that net shortwave radiation is the most significant heat source while net longwave radiation is the most significant heat loss. Additionally, five different sensible and latent heat flux calculations were compared at different time scales.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Jan Rozsypal, Jantina Toxopeus, Petra Berkova, Martin Moos, Petr Simek, Vladimir Kostal
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biology
T. Stetina, L. E. Des Marteaux, V Kostal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Physiology
Jeppe Seamus Bayley, Jesper Givskov Sorensen, Martin Moos, Vladimir Kostal, Johannes Overgaard
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-REGULATORY INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Leslie J. Potts, Vladimir Kostal, Petr Simek, Nicholas M. Teets
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jan Rozsypal, Martin Moos, Ivo Rudolf, Vladimir Kostal
Summary: The risks of energy reserve depletion and encountering low temperatures can limit the winter survival of mosquito populations. Autumn females have sufficient lipid reserves for overwintering, but high metabolic rates during flight may lead to rapid depletion of these reserves. The cold hardiness of females is weaker for above-ground habitats, but sufficient for overwintering in most underground spaces.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Bernard Y. Kim, Jeremy R. Wang, Danny E. Miller, Olga Barmina, Emily Delaney, Ammon Thompson, Aaron A. Comeault, David Peede, Emmanuel R. R. D'Agostino, Julianne Pelaez, Jessica M. Aguilar, Diler Haji, Teruyuki Matsunaga, Ellie E. Armstrong, Molly Zych, Yoshitaka Ogawa, Marina Stamenkovic-Radak, Mihailo Jelic, Marija Savic Veselinovic, Marija Tanaskovic, Pavle Eric, Jian-Jun Gao, Takehiro K. Katoh, Masanori J. Toda, Hideaki Watabe, Masayoshi Watada, Jeremy S. Davis, Leonie C. Moyle, Giulia Manoli, Enrico Bertolini, Vladimir Kostal, R. Scott Hawley, Aya Takahashi, Corbin D. Jones, Donald K. Price, Noah Whiteman, Artyom Kopp, Daniel R. Matute, Dmitri A. Petrov
Summary: Over 100 years of research on Drosophila melanogaster and related species have led to key discoveries in genetics, genomics, and evolution. Recent advances in long-read sequencing have enabled the generation of high-quality genome assemblies for tens or even hundreds of species. Utilizing Oxford Nanopore sequencing, a community resource of genome assemblies for 101 lines of 93 drosophilid species has been built, providing highly contiguous and complete genomes with high accuracy in coding regions.
Review
Entomology
Jan Rozsypal
Summary: This review discusses the molecular mechanisms of injury caused by low temperatures and freezing. It focuses on the damage to macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and biological membranes. The interaction between temperature effects, ice formation, and secondary effects such as osmotic stress, increased solute concentration, cellular freeze dehydration, disrupted ionic balance, and oxidative stress contribute to the damage. The review also identifies gaps in our knowledge of cold injury mechanisms and suggests future research directions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Zeljko D. Popovic, Vitezslav Maier, Milos Avramov, Iva Uzelac, Snezana Gosic-Dondo, Dusko Blagojevic, Vladimir Kostal
Summary: This study tracked the changes in energy metabolism of diapausing larvae under cold and warm acclimation conditions, finding that energy metabolism changes in the cold-acclimated group facilitate the development of cold hardiness, while the high metabolic activity in the warm-acclimated group may lead to premature mortality.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martin Moos, Jaroslava Korbelova, Tomas Stetina, Stanislav Opekar, Petr Simek, Robert Grgac, Vladimir Kostal
Summary: Cold-acclimated insects accumulate cryoprotectants through assimilating amino acids from their diet and glycogen serves as the major source of glucose units for cryoprotectant synthesis.
Article
Biology
Lukas Kucera, Martin Moos, Tomas Stetina, Jaroslava Korbelova, Petr Vodrazka, Lauren Des Marteaux, Robert Grgac, Petr Hula, Jan Rozsypal, Milos Faltus, Petr Simek, Radislav Sedlacek, Vladimir Kostal
Summary: This study identifies and quantifies multiple cryoprotectants in larval tissues of a subarctic fly, which could inspire the development of laboratory cryoprotectant formulations for cryopreservation. The artificial mixtures of cryoprotectants mimic the concentrations in hemolymph of freeze-tolerant larvae and exhibit cryoprotective effects. The study also suggests that trehalose stimulates the transition to the amorphous glass phase, while proline forms a layer of dense viscoelastic liquid, both protecting macromolecules and cells from thermomechanical shocks associated with freezing.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Petr Hula, Martin Moos, Lauren Des Marteaux, Petr Simek, Vladimir Kostal
Summary: This study reveals that exposing diapausing larvae of the drosophilid fly to dry conditions significantly improves their freeze tolerance. The metabolomics analysis shows that environmental drought, decreasing ambient temperatures, and short days trigger similar metabolic rearrangement and improved larval freeze tolerance. Transition to metabolic suppression represents a common axis of metabolic pathway reorganization towards accumulation of cytoprotective compounds and stimulation of freeze tolerance.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert Grgac, Jan Rozsypal, Lauren Des Marteaux, Tomas Stetinab, Vladimir Kostal
Summary: This study provides evidence for the molecular mechanisms of protein denaturation and membrane integrity loss in freeze-sensitive insects, and demonstrates the protective effects of cryoprotective molecules in stabilizing proteins and membranes against freezing injury.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)