Meeting Abstract

8.6  Friday, Jan. 4  Coping with stress: the cellular maintenance of embryonic development LOCKWOOD, B.L.*; BYRD, N.; MONTOOTH, K.L.; Indiana University; Indiana University; Indiana University bllockwo@indiana.edu

It is widely known that thermally variable environments adversely affect the physiologies of ectothermic organisms. However, it is a widely held tenet in the field of developmental biology that embryos are ‘canalized’ to develop normally despite environmental perturbation. Are embryos actually vulnerable to thermal stress, and what structures and developmental processes are most vulnerable? Here we investigate the effects of heat stress on embryos of Drosophila melanogaster by measuring whole-organism survival, the cellular structures that mediate this stress, and the mechanisms that may buffer this stress during development. We find that exposure of early stage embryos to temperatures as low as 28°C causes a significant decrease in survival to adulthood. We also find that some genotypes are more tolerant to heat stress than others, suggesting that heat tolerance in embryos has a genetic basis. We discuss our progress using confocal fluorescence microscopy to assess the effects of heat stress on cellular structures that coordinate early development.