Tropical Drosophila ananassae of wet-dry seasons show cross resistance to heat, drought and starvation.

ABSTRACT: Plastic responses to multiple environmental stressors in wet or dry seasonal populations of tropical Drosophila species have received less attention. We tested plastic effects of heat hardening, acclimation to drought or starvation, and changes in trehalose, proline and body lipids in Drosophila ananassae flies reared under wet or dry season-specific conditions. Wet season flies revealed significant increase in heat knockdown, starvation resistance and body lipids after heat hardening. However, accumulation of proline was observed only after desiccation acclimation of dry season flies while wet season flies elicited no proline but trehalose only. Therefore, drought-induced proline can be a marker metabolite for dry-season flies. Further, partial utilization of proline and tre

SUBMITTER: Lambhod C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5703618 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature