Meeting Abstract

P2.144  Tuesday, Jan. 5  Cold-induced mortality in Drosophila: Starvation, desiccation, or neither? KOBEY, RL*; EGGLESTON, EE; MONTOOTH, KL; Indiana University; Indiana University; Indiana University rkobey@gmail.com

Organisms experience extremes and fluctuations in temperature during diurnal temperature cycles, across seasons, over geographical ranges, and as a consequence of climate change. In order to better understand how organisms acclimate and adapt to low temperatures, we are attempting to understand the physiological mechanisms of cold injury. Specifically, we are working on identifying the mechanisms of cold injury for mild exposures sufficient to induce chill coma in Drosophila melanogaster. Mild, chronic cold exposures are hypothesized to be analogous to starvation stress because individuals are unable to feed during chill coma. We are also considering a competing hypothesis that mortality may be due to desiccation. Alternatively, cold-induced mortality may be due to other mechanisms, such as cellular damage, that are independent of starvation or desiccation. To test these hypotheses, we are comparing the energy stores and water content of flies from five genetic lines of D. melanogaster that have died from starvation or desiccation with flies exposed to a range of potentially lethal low temperature exposures. These comparative data shed light on the causes cold-induced mortality.