scholarly journals Sex-specific responses to cold in a very cold-tolerant, northern Drosophila species

Heredity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren J. Parker ◽  
Tapio Envall ◽  
Michael G. Ritchie ◽  
Maaria Kankare
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Cold Treatment ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Cold Tolerant ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Drosophila Montana ◽  
Harsh Conditions

AbstractOrganisms can plastically alter resource allocation in response to changing environmental factors. For example, in harsh conditions, organisms are expected to shift investment from reproduction toward survival; however, the factors and mechanisms that govern the magnitude of such shifts are relatively poorly studied. Here we compared the impact of cold on males and females of the highly cold-tolerant species Drosophila montana at the phenotypic and transcriptomic levels. Although both sexes showed similar changes in cold tolerance and gene expression in response to cold treatment, indicating that the majority of changes are concordant between the sexes, we identified a clear reduction in sexually dimorphic gene expression, suggesting that preparing for the colder season involves reducing investment in sex-specific traits. This reduction was larger in males than females, as expected if male sexual traits are more condition-dependent than female traits, as predicted by theory. Gene expression changes were primarily associated with shifts in metabolic profile, which likely play a role in increasing cold tolerance. Finally, we found that the expression of immune genes was reduced following cold treatment, suggesting that reduced investment in costly immune function may be important in helping flies survive colder periods.

scholarly journals Sex-specific responses to cold in a very cold-tolerant, northern Drosophila species

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren J. Parker ◽  
Tapio Envall ◽  
Michael G. Ritchie ◽  
Maaria Kankare
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Cold Treatment ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Cold Tolerant ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Drosophila Montana ◽  
Harsh Conditions

AbstractOrganisms can plastically alter resource allocation in response to changing environmental factors. For example, in harsh conditions organisms are expected to shift investment from reproduction towards survival, however, the factors and mechanisms that govern the magnitude of such shifts are relatively poorly studied. Here we compared the impact of cold on males and females of the highly cold-tolerant species Drosophila montana at the phenotypic and transcriptomic levels. Although both sexes showed similar changes in cold tolerance and gene expression in response to cold treatment, indicating that the majority of changes are concordant between the sexes, we identified a clear reduction in sexually dimorphic gene expression, suggesting that preparing for colder season also involves reducing investment in sex-specific traits. This reduction was larger in males than females, as expected if male sexual traits are more condition-dependent than female traits, as predicted by theory. Gene expression changes were primarily associated with shifts in metabolic profile which likely play a role in increasing cold tolerance. Finally, we found that the expression of immune genes was reduced following cold treatment, suggesting that reduced investment in immunity may be important in helping flies survive colder periods.

scholarly journals Sex differences in gene expression and proliferation are dependent on the epigenetic modifier HP1γ

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pui-Pik Law ◽  
Ping-Kei Chan ◽  
Kirsten McEwen ◽  
Huihan Zhi ◽  
Bing Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Complement ◽  
Autosomal Gene ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Heterochromatin Protein 1 ◽  
Epigenetic Modifier ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
Males And Females

SummarySex differences in growth rate in very early embryos have been recognized in a variety of mammals and attributed to sex-chromosome complement effects as they occur before overt sexual differentiation. We previously found that sex-chromosome complement, rather than sex hormones regulates heterochromatin-mediated silencing of a transgene and autosomal gene expression in mice. Here, sex dimorphism in proliferation was investigated. We confirm that male embryonic fibroblasts proliferate faster than female fibroblasts and show that this proliferation advantage is completely dependent upon heterochromatin protein 1 gamma (HP1γ). To determine whether this sex-regulatory effect of HP1γ was a more general phenomenon, we performed RNA sequencing on MEFs derived from males and females, with or without HP1γ. Strikingly, HP1γ was found to be crucial for regulating nearly all sexually dimorphic autosomal gene expression because deletion of the HP1γ gene in males abolished sex differences in autosomal gene expression. The identification of a key epigenetic modifier as central in defining gene expression differences between males and females has important implications for understanding physiological sex differences and sex bias in disease.

scholarly journals Ramification has little impact on shoot hydraulic efficiency in the sexually dimorphic genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae)

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam B. Roddy ◽  
Justin J. van Blerk ◽  
Jeremy J. Midgley ◽  
Adam G. West
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Hydraulic Resistance ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Hydraulic Efficiency ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
In Series ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
The Impact

Despite the diversity of branching architectures in plants, the impact of this morphological variation on hydraulic efficiency has been poorly studied. Branch junctions are commonly thought to be points of high hydraulic resistance, but adjustments in leaf area or xylem conduit abundance or dimensions could compensate for the additional hydraulic resistance of nodal junctions at the level of the entire shoot. Here we used the sexually dimorphic genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae) to test whether variation in branch ramification impacts shoot hydraulic efficiency. We found that branch ramification was related to leaf traits via Corner’s rules such that more highly ramified shoots had smaller leaves, but that branch ramification had little consistent impact on shoot hydraulic efficiency, whether measured on a leaf area or stem cross-sectional area basis. These results suggest that the presumed increase in resistance associated with branching nodes can be compensated by other adjustments at the shoot level (e.g. leaf area adjustments, increased ramification to add additional branches in parallel rather than in series) that maintain hydraulic efficiency at the level of the entire shoot. Despite large morphological differences between males and females in the genus Leucadendron, which are due to differences in pollination and reproduction between the sexes, the physiological differences between males and females are minimal.

scholarly journals The Methylation Patterns and Transcriptional Responses to Chilling Stress at the Seedling Stage in Rice

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (20) ◽  
pp. 5089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Guo ◽  
Tingkai Wu ◽  
Shuxing Li ◽  
Qiang He ◽  
Zhanlie Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Cold Stress ◽  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Temperature Stress ◽  
Chilling Stress ◽  
Low Temperature Stress ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Cold Tolerant

Chilling stress is considered the major abiotic stress affecting the growth, development, and yield of rice. To understand the transcriptomic responses and methylation regulation of rice in response to chilling stress, we analyzed a cold-tolerant variety of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. P427). The physiological properties, transcriptome, and methylation of cold-tolerant P427 seedlings under low-temperature stress (2–3 °C) were investigated. We found that P427 exhibited enhanced tolerance to low temperature, likely via increasing antioxidant enzyme activity and promoting the accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA). The Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation Sequencing (MeDIP-seq) data showed that the number of methylation-altered genes was highest in P427 (5496) and slightly lower in Nipponbare (Nip) and 9311 (4528 and 3341, respectively), and only 2.7% (292) of methylation genes were detected as common differentially methylated genes (DMGs) related to cold tolerance in the three varieties. Transcriptome analyses revealed that 1654 genes had specifically altered expression in P427 under cold stress. These genes mainly belonged to transcription factor families, such as Myeloblastosis (MYB), APETALA2/ethylene-responsive element binding proteins (AP2-EREBP), NAM-ATAF-CUC (NAC) and WRKY. Fifty-one genes showed simultaneous methylation and expression level changes. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that genes involved in the ICE (inducer of CBF expression)-CBF (C-repeat binding factor)—COR (cold-regulated) pathway were highly expressed under cold stress, including the WRKY genes. The homologous gene Os03g0610900 of the open stomatal 1 (OST1) in rice was obtained by evolutionary tree analysis. Methylation in Os03g0610900 gene promoter region decreased, and the expression level of Os03g0610900 increased, suggesting that cold stress may lead to demethylation and increased gene expression of Os03g0610900. The ICE-CBF-COR pathway plays a vital role in the cold tolerance of the rice cultivar P427. Overall, this study demonstrates the differences in methylation and gene expression levels of P427 in response to low-temperature stress, providing a foundation for further investigations of the relationship between environmental stress, DNA methylation, and gene expression in rice.

Changes in Membrane Fatty Acids in Cold-acclimated Turfgrass

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 453c-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenith Cyril ◽  
R.R. Duncan ◽  
W.V. Baird
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Linoleic Acid ◽  
Stearic Acid ◽  
Palmitic Acid ◽  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Linolenic Acid ◽  
Cold Treatment ◽  
Biochemical Basis ◽  
Cold Tolerant

Three genotypes of seashore paspalum, `PI 299042', `Adalayd', and `PI 509018-1' considered to be cold-sensitive, intermediately cold-tolerant and cold-tolerant, respectively, were analyzed to investigate the biochemical basis of cold tolerance. The cultivars were acclimated to 8/4 °C day/night temperatures and rhizomes nodes and crowns were harvested at 7-day intervals over the 4-week experiment. Total lipid was extracted from these tissues, and the fatty acids present in the lipid fraction were identified by gas chromatography. Palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid were the major fatty acids present. In cold acclimated tissues, the level of palmitic acid and stearic acid did not change significantly during the treatment period. There was a decrease in the level of linoleic acid by the second week of cold treatment. The amount of linolenic acid increased significantly during the second week of cold treatment corresponding to the decrease in linoleic acid. The change in the amount was significantly greater in `PI 509018-1' than in `Adalayd' or `PI 299042'. These results are similar to what was found for cultivars of bermudagrass that differ in their cold-tolerance phenotypes. Desaturases are enzymes involved in introducing the double bonds into the fatty acid chains. Research is underway to characterize and clone the genes encoding the Ω3, Ω6, and Ω9 desaturases, which may have an important role in affecting the cold tolerance by altering the degree of membrane lipid fatty acid saturation.

Abstract P787: Sexually Dimorphic Gene Expression Molecular Correlates of Improvement in Human Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajar Amini ◽  
Bodie Knepp ◽  
Heather Hull ◽  
Paulina Carmona-Mora ◽  
Marisa Hakoupian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Major Protein ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Stroke Outcome ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Dimorphic Gene Expression

Objective: Ischemic stroke (IS) is sexually dimorphic for risk factors, age, heritability, causes, treatment, and outcome. We identified transcriptional correlates with 90-day outcome that differed between male and female IS subjects. Methods: RNA from 72 samples from 2 peripheral blood draws (at ≤3 and 24h post IS onset) was analyzed on Affymetrix U133 Plus 2 microarrays. These represented samples from 36 CLEAR trial IS patients treated with tPA with or without eptifibatide after the first blood sample within 3 hours of stroke onset. Changes in gene expression levels (deltaGE) between 3h and 24h were calculated and the association with percent NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) improvement from 3h to 90 days (% Improvement) examined. We used mixed-effects linear regression, including Treatment, Age, Sex, Vascular Risk Factors, 3h NIHSS, % Improvement, and a Sex * % Improvement interaction. Sex differences in association of gene expression with % Improvement were determined by examining the Sex * % Improvement interaction term, p<0.005 was considered statistically significant. Results: 577 genes correlated differently with % Improvement in IS males and females. These included matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which play a major role in BBB dysfunction and outcomes post IS. MMP11 , MMP14 and MM17 correlated with % Improvement in opposite direction in males and females. Inflammatory genes like IL-27 , implicated in infarct volume and stroke outcome, and ABC transporters ( ABCC9 ) also had opposite correlation with % Improvement in males and females. Calmodulin 1 ( CAML1 ) was also sexually dimorphic, and a SNP in CALM1 has been implicated in IS risk and blood coagulation in female IS patients. EIF2 signaling, a major protein synthesis pathway was activated in males (adj. p = 1e-8), while suppressed in females (adj. p value = 1e-9). Protein synthesis and associated unfolded protein response cascade have previously been implicated in stroke outcome. Conclusions: The identified sexually dimorphic gene expression associated with 90-day improvement might relate to sex differences in blood immune and clotting pathways. The findings expand our understanding of the genomic underpinnings associated with stroke outcome and may serve as potential sex-specific treatment targets.

scholarly journals Analysis of Selenoprotein Expression in Response to Dietary Selenium Deficiency During Pregnancy Indicates Tissue Specific Differential Expression in Mothers and Sex Specific Changes in the Fetus and Offspring

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Hofstee ◽  
James S.M. Cuffe ◽  
Anthony V. Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Rna Extraction ◽  
Selenium Deficiency ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Foetal Development ◽  
Dietary Selenium ◽  
Pregnant Mice ◽  
Low Selenium ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Age And Sex

The human selenoproteome is comprised of ~25 genes, which incorporate selenium, in the form of selenocysteine, into their structure. Since it is well known that selenium is important to maternal health and foetal development during pregnancy, this study aimed at defining the impact of selenium deficiency on maternal, placental, foetal and offspring selenoprotein gene expression. Female C57BL/6 mice were randomly allocated to control (>190 μg/kg) or low selenium (<50 μg/kg) diets four weeks prior to mating and throughout gestation. At embryonic day (E)18.5, pregnant mice were sacrificed followed by collection of maternal and foetal tissues. A subset of mice littered down, and offspring were monitored from postnatal day (PN) 8, weaned at PN24 and sacrificed at PN180, followed by tissue collection. Following RNA extraction, the expression of 14 selenoproteins was assessed with qPCR in liver, kidneys, muscle and placenta. Selenium deficiency downregulated expression (Ptrt < 0.05) of many selenoproteins in maternal tissues and the placenta. However, foetal selenoprotein expression was upregulated (Ptrt < 0.05) in all tissues, especially the kidneys. This was not reflected at PN180; however, a sexually dimorphic relationship in selenoprotein expression was observed in offspring. This study demonstrates the selenoproteome is sensitive to dietary selenium levels, which may be exacerbated by pregnancy. We concluded that transcriptional regulation of selenoproteins is complex and multifaceted, with expression exhibiting tissue-, age- and sex-specificities.

scholarly journals Polymorphism in the Chloroplast ATP Synthase Beta-Subunit Is Associated with a Maternally Inherited Enhanced Cold Recovery in Cucumber

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1092
Author(s):  
Madeline W. Oravec ◽  
Michael J. Havey
Keyword(s):  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Atp Synthase ◽  
Cold Treatment ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Chloroplast Transformation ◽  
Beta Subunit ◽  
Cucumis Sativus L ◽  
Reciprocal Hybrids ◽  
Cold Tolerant ◽  
Dh Lines

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a warm-season crop that is sensitive to chilling temperatures and a maternally inherited cold tolerance exists in the heirloom cultivar ‘Chipper’ (CH). Because the organelles of cucumber show differential transmission (maternal for chloroplast and paternal for mitochondrion), this cold tolerance is hypothesized to be chloroplast-associated. The goal of this research was to characterize the cold tolerant phenotype from CH and determine its genetic basis. Doubled haploid (DH) lines were produced from CH and cold susceptible cucumbers, reciprocal hybrids with identical nuclear genotypes were produced, and plants were subjected to cold treatments under lights at 4 °C for 5.5 h. Hybrid plants with CH as the maternal parent had significantly higher fresh and dry weights 14 days after cold treatment compared to the reciprocal hybrid, revealing an enhanced cold recovery phenotype maternally conferred by CH. Results from analyses of the nuclear transcriptome and reactive oxygen species (ROS) between reciprocal hybrids were consistent with the cold recovery phenotype. Sequencing of the chloroplast genome and transcriptome of the DH parents and reciprocal hybrids, respectively, revealed one maternally transmitted non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the chloroplast F1FO-ATP synthase (CF1FO-ATPase) beta-subunit gene (atpB) of CH which confers an amino acid change from threonine to arginine. Protein modeling revealed that this change is located at the interface of the alpha- and beta-subunits in the CF1FO-ATPase complex. Polymorphisms in the CF1FO-ATPase complex have been associated with stress tolerances in other plants, and selection for or creation of polymorphic beta-subunit proteins by chloroplast transformation or gene editing could condition improved recovery from cold stress in plants.

scholarly journals Characterization of Cold Tolerance of Immature Stages of Small Hive Beetle (SHB) Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 459
Author(s):  
Muhammad Noor-ul-Ane ◽  
Chuleui Jung
Keyword(s):  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Aethina Tumida ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Small Hive Beetle ◽  
Cold Temperatures ◽  
Cold Tolerant ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
The Impact

The small hive beetle (SHB) Aethina tumida Murray, (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is now a global invasive pest of honey bees, but its cold tolerance potential has not been yet explored. Therefore, we measured the supercooling point (SCP) of different stages of SHBs and also the impact of acclimation on their SCPs and survival as a measure for cold tolerance. Combinations of different temperatures (0, 3, 5, 7, and 10 ∘C) for different hours (1, 3, 5, 7, 12, 24, 35, and 48 h) were used to assess SHB survival. The supercooling points occurred at lower temperatures (−19.4 ∘C) in wandering larvae than in the other stages (pupae: −12.5 ∘C, and feeding larvae: −10.7 ∘C). A lethal temperature (LT50) of feeding larvae was achieved earlier at 4.9 ∘C after 7 h exposure than the wandering larvae (3.7 ∘C at 48 h) and pupae (5.6 ∘C at 48 h). The sum of injurious temperature (SIT) is the most suitable estimation to describe cold resistance of the SHB immatures. The wandering larvae were the most cold tolerant, followed by pupae and feeding larvae based on SIT values of −286.8, −153.7 and −28.7 DD, respectively, and also showed more phenotypic plasticity after acclimation than feeding larvae and slightly more than pupae. Our results show that all stages, i.e., feeding larvae, wandering larvae and pupae, are chill susceptible. However, these stages, especially wandering larvae and pupae, showed the capacity to acclimate to cold temperatures, which may help them to survive in winter for the continuity of the SHB population, especially in a scenario of climate change.

scholarly journals Cold tolerance in rice plants is partially controlled by root responses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie Geraldine Sierra Rativa ◽  
Artur Teixeira de Araújo Junior ◽  
Daniele da Silva Friedrich ◽  
Rodrigo Gastmann ◽  
Thainá Inês Lamb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Temperature Stress ◽  
Cold Treatment ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Root Hairs ◽  
Acc Oxidase ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Low Temperature Stress ◽  
Cold Tolerant

AbstractRice (Oryza sativa L.) ssp. indica is the most cultivated species in the South of Brazil. However, these plants face low temperature stress from September to November, which is the period of early sowing, affecting plant development during the initial stages of growth, and reducing rice productivity. This study aimed to characterize the root response to low temperature stress during the early vegetative stage of two rice genotypes contrasting in their cold tolerance (CT, cold-tolerant; and CS, cold-sensitive). Root dry weight and length, as well as number of root hairs, were higher in CT than CS when exposed to cold treatment. Histochemical analyses indicated that roots of CS genotype present higher levels of lipid peroxidation and H2O2 accumulation, along with lower levels of plasma membrane integrity than CT under low temperature stress. RNAseq analyses revealed that the contrasting genotypes present completely different molecular responses to cold stress. The number of over-represented functional categories was lower in CT than CS under cold condition, suggesting that CS genotype is more impacted by low temperature stress than CT. Several genes might contribute to rice cold tolerance, including the ones related with cell wall remodeling, cytoskeleton and growth, signaling, antioxidant system, lipid metabolism, and stress response. On the other hand, high expression of the genes SRC2 (defense), root architecture associated 1 (growth), ACC oxidase, ethylene-responsive transcription factor, and cytokinin-O-glucosyltransferase 2 (hormone-related) seems to be related with cold sensibility. Since these two genotypes have a similar genetic background (sister lines), the differentially expressed genes found here can be considered candidate genes for cold tolerance and could be used in future biotechnological approaches aiming to increase rice tolerance to low temperature.

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