Project description:The ability of the Antarctic microarthropod, Cryptopygus antarcticus (Collembola, Isotomidae), to survive low temperatures has been well studied at the physiological level. These investigations have indicated the importance of the moulting process in conferring this ability. This study investigated gene expression in groups of C. antarcticus that have distinct differences in their ability to survive low temperatures. A microarray containing 5,400 C. antarcticus expressed sequence tags was used to investigate gene expression differences between groups of animals with different supercooling points (SCP), and to low temperatures close to their SCP. By demonstrating the involvement of moulting genes in the differential survival of two groups of C. antarcticus with distinct SCPs, the results of this investigation add support to the role moulting plays in conferring cold tolerance in C. antarcticus.
