Article
Ecology
Jelena Bujan, Stephen P. Yanoviak
Summary: This study assessed the behavioral response and heat adaptation of the most common ants in the tropical forest canopy when exposed to heat stress. The results showed differences in nest choice and nest evacuation behavior among different ant genera, as well as variations in sensitivity to heat stress. This finding is important for understanding the survival strategies of small ectotherms in the face of global warming.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Yan Huang, Pumo Cai, Xinxin Su, Mingjing Zheng, Wenwen Chi, Shaoling Lin, Zhiwei Huang, Si Qin, Shaoxiao Zeng
Summary: This study assessed the effects of hsian-tsao extract (HTE) on thermal stress in Drosophila melanogaster. The results showed that HTE extended the lifespan of female flies and enhanced antioxidant capacity. Thermal hardening also had significant effects on the physiological parameters of the flies.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biology
Samantha S. Fontaine, Kevin D. Kohl
Summary: Climate change and global warming pose a significant threat to ectothermic animals worldwide. The response of ectotherms to environmental warming is significantly influenced by host-associated microbial communities. However, there are still unanswered questions about these relationships before accurate predictions can be made.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jianfeng Huang, Xinxin Su, Qiyan Jia, Haoran Chen, Shaoxiao Zeng, Hui Xu
Summary: This study investigated the potential mechanism of action of tea polyphenols (TPs) to enhance heat resistance in Drosophila and the attenuating effect of heat treatment on their efficacy. The results showed that TPs were able to prolong the survival time of Drosophila under high-temperature stress, but this effect was significantly reduced with increasing heat-treatment time. The composition of TPs changed after heat treatment. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed the pathways and processes involved in the heat tolerance improvement by TPs. The study provides important insights for the development and utilization of tea's heat-protection function.
Article
Physiology
Yudong Quan, Zhenying Wang, Hongyi Wei, Kanglai He
Summary: The relationship between heat acclimation and the expression of specific HSPs plays a critical role in insect adaptation and evolution. Extreme thermal stress induces quick onset of HSP70 or HSP90 transcription, potentially aiding in adaptation to drastic temperature variations. Furthermore, the thermal tolerance of larvae is significantly enhanced after 6 hours of recovery, possibly regulated by HSP70.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Fhallon Ware-Gilmore, Mario Novelo, Carla M. Sgro, Matthew D. Hall, Elizabeth A. McGraw
Summary: The geographical range of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector for human disease-causing viruses, is expanding due to changing climate. The species' ability to adapt to thermal stress will affect its future distribution. The genetic variation and pathways that confer thermal tolerance are not fully understood. This study investigates the genetic architecture of mosquito thermal tolerance and suggests that other mechanisms besides heat shock may underpin stress response.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Krishnan Nair Balakrishnan, Suriya Kumari Ramiah, Idrus Zulkifli
Summary: The demand for poultry production is increasing with the human population, and the importance of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in poultry is discussed in this review. HSPs play a crucial role in helping poultry cope with different stress conditions and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Advances have been made in understanding HSP response to thermal and non-thermal stressors in poultry, and further studies are needed to develop strategies for alleviating the detrimental effects of environmental stresses on poultry.
Article
Cell Biology
Karl M. Glastad, Julian Roessler, Janko Gospocic, Roberto Bonasio, Shelley L. Berger
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigate the role of heat shock responses mediated by hsalHSF2 in extending the longevity and survival of reproductive gamergate ants. They show that the increased heat stress resilience and life span benefits observed in gamergates can be transferred to fruit flies through the expression of hsalHSF2. The study sheds light on the mechanisms underlying the extended life span of gamergates, highlighting the significance of hsalHSF2 in ant longevity. It also underscores the importance of proteostasis in health and aging, as well as the potential for facultative life span extension in ants.
GENES & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Leonor R. Rodrigues, Hayley A. McDermott, Irene Villanueva, Jana Djukari, Lena C. Ruf, Mirjam Amcoff, Rhonda R. Snook
Summary: This study examined the effects of temperature on male reproductive traits using different genotypes of Drosophila melanogaster exposed to various thermal conditions. The results showed that thermal stress had varying impacts on reproductive performance across genotypes, with some genotypes displaying higher thermal tolerance. While thermal stress increased genetic variation and potential for adaptation to climate warming, the overall negative effect on reproductive performance remained substantial as mean temperature and variance increased.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Natalie Warsinger-Pepe, Carly Chang, Connor R. Desroberts, Omar S. Akbari
Summary: The use of heat-inducible promoters for gene expression is widely used in research, but it often leads to leaky expression. This study investigates the use of Polycomb response elements and the heat-shock protein 70Bb promoter to regulate Cas9 levels in Drosophila melanogaster. The results show that Polycomb response elements can effectively reduce Cas9 expression under the control of the heat-shock protein 70Bb promoter, confirming previous findings. However, further regulatory elements are needed to precisely control Cas9 expression and abundance.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Enzo M. Scutigliani, Yongxin Liang, Hans Crezee, Roland Kanaar, Przemek M. Krawczyk
Summary: Hyperthermia is a method of exposing tumors to elevated temperatures to enhance the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, its efficacy is limited by factors such as heat stress response. Targeting this cellular defense mechanism may improve the effectiveness of hyperthermia-based therapies.
Article
Biology
Scott AL Hayward, Herve Colinet
Summary: Metabolomics is a valuable tool for understanding insect responses to cold, characterizing metabolic disruptions and adaptive responses. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different metabolomic technologies and screening approaches. It highlights the importance of time-series and tissue-specific data, as well as the challenges of separating insect and microbiome responses. The review also emphasizes the need for functional assessments to go beyond correlating metabolite abundance with tolerance phenotypes.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Huiru Fu, Yongjing Li, Jing Tian, Ben Yang, Yin Li, Qi Li, Shikai Liu
Summary: Rising ocean temperature poses a significant threat to marine organisms' adaptation and survival, leading to ecological impacts and economic losses. This study revealed a new regulatory mechanism mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in response to heat stress. HIF-1a and HIF-1a-like5 were found to be highly induced under heat stress and played critical roles in the heat shock response (HSR) by upregulating the expression of heat shock proteins (HSP). Knocking down of HIF-1a inhibited the expression of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) and HSP70 genes, leading to decreased survival of C. gigas under heat stress. The involvement of HIF-1a/HSF1/HSP70 pathway in the oyster's response to heat stress provides insights into the adaptive mechanisms of bivalves to ocean warming.
MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Bei Han, Fengjiao Wang, Zhilin Liu, Lin Chen, Dandan Yue, Weinan Sun, Zhongxu Lin, Xianlong Zhang, Xiaofeng Zhou, Xiyan Yang
Summary: Transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis of drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive cotton lines revealed broad-spectrum responses to drought stress, with differences in the activation of specific pathways. Heat shock protein genes and ATP binding cassette transporter genes were found to play important roles in the drought tolerance of cotton.
THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Mahmoud El-Saadi, Heath A. MacMillan, Laura Ferguson
Summary: This article reviews chilling injuries in chill-susceptible insects and cold-induced immune activation in the model dipteran Drosophila melanogaster. It also proposes a conceptual model linking biochemical and molecular causes of immune activation to its consequences during and following cold stress.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Kim Jensen, Soren Toft, Jesper G. Sorensen, Martin Holmstrup
Summary: The study suggests that commercially produced O. majusculus have lower body condition compared to wild-caught individuals, but this does not result in a lower impact on pest prey numbers under the study conditions. Commercially produced O. majusculus have similar biological control value as wild-caught individuals.
BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Long Chen, Jesper Givskov Sorensen, Annie Enkegaard
Summary: The study found that temperature significantly affected several life history parameters of the commercialised egg parasitoid Trichogramma achaeae. Developmental acclimation had an impact on some traits, highlighting the potential for improving the performance of this parasitoid in mass production and biological control under different thermal conditions.
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Heidi J. MacLean, Jonas Hjort Hansen, Jesper G. Sorensen
Summary: Accurately phenotyping test subjects is crucial for experimental research. This study presents the results of automatically generated thermal tolerance data using motion-tracking software, demonstrating that automation can increase efficiency without compromising quality. The method was applied to two different heat tolerance assays on Drosophila species, producing results comparable to those obtained manually. The researchers conclude that automation is a useful example of high-throughput phenotyping and can be applicable to various arthropod taxa.
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Nicholas J. Barrett, Jakob Thyrring, Elizabeth M. Harper, Mikael K. Sejr, Jesper G. Sorensen, Lloyd S. Peck, Melody S. Clark
Summary: Increasing Arctic temperatures have led to accelerated melting of the Greenland ice sheet, exposing intertidal organisms like Mytilus edulis to high air temperatures and low salinities in the summer. This study found that the combined stressors of high temperature and low salinity push M. edulis towards their tolerance thresholds, leading to an increase in upregulated genes. The organism also exhibits efficient mechanisms, such as intracellular osmoregulation and fluid-filled cavities, to acclimatize to changing salinity levels. These findings demonstrate the resilience of M. edulis to heat stress and lowered salinity in a changing world.
Article
Physiology
Martin Holmstrup, Jesper G. Sorensen, Wencai Dai, Paul Henning Krogh, Ruediger M. Schmelz, Stine Slotsbo
Summary: Understanding thermal tolerance traits is important for predicting species distributions and their ability to adapt to future climate changes. There is a trade-off between cold tolerance and reproduction, while adult body size is negatively correlated with environmental temperature. The sensitivity distribution is related to thermal tolerance.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paul Vinu Salachan, Jesper Givskov Sorensen
Summary: Adaptation to thermal variability is important for species' persistence. In this study, Drosophila melanogaster were subjected to acclimation at constant and fluctuating temperatures to investigate the molecular basis of fluctuating temperature-induced phenotypic plasticity. The results showed that there are stage- and sex-specific dynamics of the acclimation responses to fluctuating temperatures. Fluctuating temperature acclimation resulted in the canalization of gene expression in adult females, and both transcriptional and post-transcriptional machinery were greatly affected by fluctuations in adult males. Heat stress response involving major heat shock proteins was enriched in both larvae and adults exposed to fluctuating temperatures.
Article
Ecology
Clemence Rose, Sarah Kyneb, Mads Fristrup Schou, Jesper Bechsgaard, Trine Bilde
Summary: Conspecific tolerance is crucial for maintaining group cohesion in animals. Subsocial species disperse to a solitary lifestyle after a gregarious juvenile phase and display conspecific intolerance as adults. The development of intolerance towards group members is delayed and flexible in some cases. Major evolutionary transitions, such as the transition to sociality, can lead to the modification or loss of conspecific intolerance. In social spiders, conspecific attraction rather than intolerance appears to govern group cohesion.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Lena Grinsted, Mads F. Schou, Virginia Settepani, Christina Holm, Lefang L. Chobolo, Galaletsang M. Dintwe, Trine Bilde
Summary: Cooperative prey capture in social spiders can vary among species due to species-specific trade-offs between risks, costs, and benefits. This study found significant differences in prey attack behavior among three social Stegodyphus species, suggesting different cooperative prey capture strategies. Factors such as prey availability, predation pressure, and web efficiency may affect social spiders' foraging strategy. Further research is needed to investigate the extent to which species-specific cooperative foraging strategies are shaped by ontogeny, group size, and environmental factors.
JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Julian Melgar, Mads F. Schou, Maud Bonato, Zanell Brand, Anel Engelbrecht, Schalk W. P. Cloete, Charlie K. Cornwallis
Summary: This study experimentally tested sex differences in cooperative breeding and their impact on group size variation in ostriches. The results showed that male optimal group size is influenced by competition costs, while female reproductive success is impacted by the benefits of cooperation with group members. Intermediate group sizes were found to be disadvantageous for both males and females.
Article
Entomology
Astrid Bay Amstrup, Ida Baek, Volker Loeschcke, Jesper Givskov Sorensen
Summary: Plastic responses to heat stress can temporarily increase heat stress tolerance in small ectotherms. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) play a role in this induced heat stress tolerance, but additional mechanisms such as the Turandot gene family are also involved. This study investigates the temporal dynamics and functional role of Turandot genes totA and totC in heat stress tolerance.
JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Fatemeh Tabebordbar, Giorgio Formisano, Parviz Shishehbor, Ebrahim Ebrahimi, Massimo Giorgini, Jesper Givskov Sorensen
Summary: The performance of three Trichogramma euproctidis populations from different locations in southwest Iran was evaluated to optimize mass-rearing for biological control of lepidopteran pests. Population origin and host quality significantly influenced the biological traits of the parasitoids and their progeny. The best-performing population, collected in Mollasani, showed higher parasitization rate, survival rate, and progeny sex ratio when reared on young eggs of Ephestia kuehniella.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jian Ge, Stine Slotsbo, Jesper G. Sorensen, Martin Holmstrup
Summary: The agricultural and industrial emissions of copper-based chemicals have led to increased copper levels in soils worldwide. This copper contamination has toxic effects on soil animals and impacts their thermal tolerance. This study investigated the effects of copper exposure on the thermal performance of a springtail, demonstrating that high copper levels reduce tolerance to suboptimal temperatures and decrease maximal performance.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Homa Papoli Yazdi, Colin Olito, Takeshi Kawakami, Per Unneberg, Mads F. Schou, Schalk W. P. Cloete, Bengt Hansson, Charlie K. Cornwallis
Summary: Sex chromosomes have often evolved with extreme size differences due to degeneration, but in some lineages, ancient sex chromosomes have not degenerated. In ostriches, the W chromosome remains large despite being ancient. By analyzing the ostrich genome, researchers found that recombination rate in the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) is higher than autosomes in females, which slows down degeneration. Genetic variation in the sex-linked region (SLR) is lower than in the PAR, while variation in the PAR is similar to autosomes, suggesting high recombination near the boundaries of the PAR prevents linkage with the SLR. The potential for sexually antagonistic alleles to drive degeneration is limited in ostriches.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Erik Svensson, Mads F. Schou, Julian Melgar, John Waller, Anel Engelbrecht, Zanell Brand, Schalk Cloete, Charlie K. Cornwallis
Summary: This study investigates the thermoregulatory capacity of ostriches and finds that females with better regulation of head temperatures have higher egg-laying rates under hotter conditions. The study also reveals that thermoregulatory capacity is heritable and shows signs of local adaptation to temperature fluctuations. These findings suggest that thermoregulation in ostriches has evolved in response to past climatic conditions and is currently under selection through its effect on reproduction.
Article
Biology
Jesper Bechsgaard, Tove Hedegaard Jorgensen, Anne Katrine Jonsson, Mads Schou, Trine Bilde
Summary: An efficient immune system is crucial for the survival of animals. Sociality increases the risk of pathogen transmission, but the selection efficiency for immune function is weakened in social species. This may be due to the demographic processes that accompany social evolution and elevate genetic drift, resulting in weakened responses to pathogen selection.