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Updated: May 11, 2026
06:52
Novel Assay for Cold Nociception in Drosophila Larvae
Published on: April 3, 2017
Calcium signaling mediates cold sensing in insect tissues
Nicholas M Teets1, Shu-Xia Yi, Richard E Lee
1Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. teets.23@osu.edu
Summary
Insects use calcium signaling to detect cold temperatures and trigger rapid cold hardening (RCH), a crucial survival mechanism. This process enhances insect cold tolerance through brain-independent pathways.
Area of Science:
- Insect Physiology
- Environmental Adaptation
- Cellular Signaling
Background:
- Rapid cold hardening (RCH) is vital for insect survival in fluctuating temperatures.
- The physiological triggers for RCH are not fully understood.
- RCH can occur in isolated tissues, suggesting brain-independent mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of calcium signaling in mediating insect cold sensing.
- To elucidate the molecular pathways involved in triggering RCH.
Main Methods:
- Live-cell confocal imaging to measure intracellular calcium concentration in insect tracheal cells.
- Assessing the activity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) under RCH conditions.
- Using pharmacological inhibitors to block calcium signaling pathways and evaluate RCH.
Main Results:
- Chilling to 0 °C increased intracellular calcium by 40% in goldenrod gall fly tracheal cells.
- RCH conditions enhanced CaMKII activity and reduced its inhibitory phosphorylation.
- Inhibiting calcium entry, calmodulin, or CaMKII blocked ex vivo RCH in multiple insect tissues.
- These findings were consistent across both freeze-tolerant and freeze-intolerant species.
Conclusions:
- Calcium signaling is essential for insect cold sensing and the initiation of RCH.
- This mechanism allows insect tissues to rapidly detect temperature drops and activate cold tolerance pathways.
- Calcium-mediated cold sensing appears to be a conserved mechanism across diverse insect species.
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