Meeting Abstract

75.4  Monday, Jan. 6 08:45  Repeated anoxia exposures during the immature stages have hormetic effects that extend into adulthood LOPEZ-MARTINEZ, G*; WILLIAMS, CM; VISSER, B; HAHN , DA; New Mexico State University; University of Florida; Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte; University of Florida gclopez@nmsu.edu

Organisms experience multiple environmental stressors in their habitat during the course of their life cycle. While there are multiple strategies ranging from tolerance to avoidance, animals with complex life cycles like insects have an immobile pupal stage that is confined and therefore subject to its environment during development. Additionally, animals experience multiple bouts of the same stressor and the effects that these bouts have on long-term organismal performance remain largely unknown, as stress physiology has largely focused on brief (24 to 48 hr) survival to traumatic single exposures. We studied the effects of repeated bouts of anoxia (3 hrs) during larval, pupal, and adult development in the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa, while the insects were encased within the puparium for two weeks. We monitored metabolism, total antioxidant capacity, oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, and energy reserve consumption. We also tracked adult emergence, flight ability, mating success, fecundity and fertility, and longevity. We found that multiple bouts of anoxia had a hormetic effect that led to increased adult emergence, flight ability, and mating success and output. Additionally correlative patterns between metabolism and oxidative damage were elucidated.