Meeting Abstract

95-2  Sunday, Jan. 6 10:15 – 10:30  RNA-Seq and Proteomics Analyses of Mechanisms Underlying Reproduction in the Antarctic Extremophile, Belgica antarctica FINCH , G.; PERRETTA, C.; DAVIES, B.; ROSENDALE, A. J.; HOLMES , C. J. ; JENNINGS, E. C.; GANTZ , J. D. ; SPACHT, D. ; LEE JR., R. E.; DENLINGER, D. L.; WEIRAUCH, M. T. ; BENOIT , J. B. *; University of Cincinnati; University of Cincinnati; University of Cincinnati; University of Cincinnati; University of Cincinnati ; University of Cincinnati; Miami University; The Ohio State University; Miami University; The Ohio State University ; Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ; University of Cincinnati joshua.benoit@uc.edu

The Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, is a wingless fly endemic to Antarctica. The life cycle of this midge is unusually long due to the short periods in which conditions for growth and development are favorable. The larval stage lasts for two years, and the adult stage is brief at about two weeks; adults mate in swarms, and females die shortly after oviposition. Eggs are laid suspended in a gel of unknown composition that is generated by the accessory glands. Reproduction in B. antarctica and other midge species is not well understood. This project examined molecular mechanisms underlying reproduction in B. antarctica by assessing differential gene expression in males, females, and larvae, as well as male and female accessory glands. In males, females, and larvae, 392, 1825, and 862 uniquely up-regulated genes were identified, respectively. For the accessory glands, 20 and 25 genes were enriched from the females and males, respectively. Proteomic analyses were used to establish the composition of the egg-containing gel, which was followed by RNA-seq analyses to determine the source of the proteins comprising the egg gel. Lastly, thermal and dehydration assays on the egg-containing gel reveal that it likely acts as a buffer to prevent thermal stress of the eggs. Future studies may focus on the impact of climate change on the survivability of this Antarctic species as reproductive shifts or suppression can result in rapid population declines.