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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

High-Throughput Assays of Critical Thermal Limits in Insects
Published on: June 15, 2020
Gene expression associated with changes in cold tolerance levels of the Antarctic springtail, Cryptopygus antarcticus
G Burns1, M A S Thorne, G Hillyard
1British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Cambridge, UK. gabu@bas.ac.uk
Abstract:
The ability of the Antarctic microarthropod Cryptopygus antarcticus (Collembola, Isotomidae) to survive low temperatures has been well studied at the physiological level, with recent investigations indicating 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 c. 5400 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 moult-related genes in the differential survival of two groups of C. antarcticus with distinct SCP profiles, the results of this investigation add support to the suggestion that moulting plays a role in conferring cold tolerance in C. antarcticus.
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