Linking membrane physical properties and low temperature tolerance in arthropods.
Maintenance of membrane fluidity is of crucial importance in ectotherms experiencing thermal changes. This maintenance has in ectotherms most often been indicated using indirect measures of biochemical changes of phospholipid membranes, which is then assumed to modulate the physico-chemical properties of the membrane. Here, we measure bending rigidity characterizing the membrane flexibility of re-constituted membrane vesicles to provide a more direct link between membrane physical characteristics and low temperature tolerance. Bending rigidity of lipid bilayers was measured in vitro using Giant Unilamellar Vesicles formed from phospholipid extracts of the springtail, Folsomia candida. The bending rigidity of these membranes decreased when exposed to 0.4 vol% ethanol (0.23 mM/L). Springtails exposed to ethanol for 24h significantly increased their cold shock tolerance. Thus, by chemically inducing decreased membrane rigidity, we have shown a direct link between the physico-chemical properties of the membranes and the capacity to tolerate low temperature in a chill-susceptible arthropod.
Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Vejlsøvej 25, DK-8600 Silkeborg, Denmark. Electronic address: dorthe.waagner@gmail.com.
Dorthe
D
Waagner
Hélène
H
Bouvrais
John H
JH
Ipsen
Martin
M
Holmstrup
D000064:Acclimatization; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010743:Phospholipids; D053835:Unilamellar Liposomes
Arthropod; Bending rigidity; Cold tolerance; Collembola; Ectotherm; GUV; Membrane fluidity