Coordinated molecular and physiological adaptations enable activity at sub-freezing temperatures in the snow fly Chionea alexandriana - PubMed
4 hours ago
- #cold adaptation
- #thermogenesis
- #antifreeze proteins
- Snow flies (Chionea alexandriana) are wingless crane flies active in winter at sub-freezing temperatures.
- Genome sequencing revealed lineage-specific and shared gene-family expansions related to cold adaptation, including antifreeze proteins (AFPs).
- Transgenic expression of Chionea AFP in Drosophila protected larvae from freezing-induced death.
- Expanded mitochondrial and peroxisomal enzymes, plus regulators of their interactions, suggest active thermogenesis, confirmed by heat bursts in response to cold.
- Snow flies show high tolerance to reactive oxygen species (ROS), with a 35-fold increased threshold for ROS activation of the nociceptor TRPA1.
- Adaptations include coping with ROS from mitochondrial activity, indicating molecular mechanisms for thriving in extreme cold via gene-family expansion.