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Updated: May 8, 2026
12:10
An Experimental and Bioinformatics Protocol for RNA-seq Analyses of Photoperiodic Diapause in the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus
Published on: November 30, 2014
Diapause: delaying the developmental clock in response to a changing environment.
Luca Schiesari1, Michael B O'Connor
1Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Current Topics in Developmental Biology
|August 22, 2013
Summary
Organisms like insects and killifish use diapause, a reversible dormancy, to survive seasonal changes. This developmental switch, regulated by hormones, allows for rapid adaptation through genetic changes.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Insect Physiology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Seasonal environmental changes necessitate adaptive strategies for survival.
- Holometabolous insects, particularly Lepidoptera, commonly enter diapause for overwintering.
- Diapause is a regulated developmental arrest crucial for organismal survival.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the mechanisms and evolutionary implications of diapause across different taxa.
- To highlight diapause as an alternative developmental pathway.
- To propose a model for the rapid evolution of diapause.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of diapause induction in insects (Lepidoptera) and vertebrates (killifish).
- Examination of environmental cues (light, temperature) and hormonal regulation.
- Discussion of genetic underpinnings of developmental trajectory shifts.
Main Results:
- Diapause involves reversible blocking of developmental growth triggered by environmental cues.
- Hormonal signaling plays a critical role in switching between diapause and direct development.
- Seasonal polyphenism in insects is a direct outcome of diapause induction.
- Killifish embryos exhibit environmentally determined diapause analogous to insects.
Conclusions:
- Diapause is a conserved developmental strategy across diverse taxa.
- Rapid evolution of diapause may occur via genetic modifications in hormonal regulation.
- Understanding diapause provides insights into developmental plasticity and adaptation.
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