Ricketti, Daniel Anthony. Energy levels increase while survivability decreases as temperature rises across Drosophila species. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3BK19KS
DescriptionIn response to changes in temperature, organisms that are adapted to survive cold temperatures implement thermoregulatory systems that adjust their growth, locomotion, reproduction, and other physiological functions. We predict species that have been isolated in an extreme environment will have thermoregulatory and compensatory mechanisms increasing their tolerance to survive adverse conditions. For example, in ice worms, an increase in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels has been associated with cold tolerance. The recycling of Adenosine monophosphate or adenosine monophosphate (AMP) regulates adenosine diphosphate (ADP) levels. Thus, the degradation of AMP by AMP phosphatase (AMPP) and AMP deaminase (AMPD) controls the levels of ATP. We use Drosophila species endemic to different environments to study how changes in temperature affect them. Drosophila species thrive in different environments on the globe, thus providing a system to answer evolutionary questions about temperature adaptation. To test these mechanisms, we used D. melanogaster a temperate, widely distributed species, a D. funebris strain native to Alaska, and D. mojavensis a cactolaphilic species. We measured ATP levels, survivability and mobility of these flies at a diverse range of temperature points. Species-specific differences in tolerance to these abnormal temperatures were observed.