title: Expression of miRNAs in response to freezing and anoxia stresses in the freeze tolerant fly Eurosta solidaginis.
abstract: Insect cold hardiness is associated with substantial metabolic rate suppression, often including developmental diapause as well as metabolic suppression imposed by freezing and freeze-associated oxygen limitation. MicroRNAs, small non-coding transcripts that bind to mRNA, are known modulators of hypometabolism in freeze tolerant insects. To further contribute to the growing signature of stress-responsive miRNAs, this study amplified and quantified changes in the expression levels of four microRNA species, miR-8, miR-9, miR-92b and miR-277, in response to freezing or anoxia exposures of freeze tolerant gall fly larvae, Eurosta solidaginis. MiR-92b levels were significantly elevated by 1.57-fold in frozen E. solidaginis at -15°C as compared with 5°C controls, whereas miR-92b levels were significantly reduced in anoxic E. solidaginis to levels that were 0.77-fold as compared with larvae held under normoxic conditions. The other miRNAs investigated showed no significant changes in stressed larvae. These data demonstrate differential miR-92b expression in frozen/anoxic versus control insect larvae and position this miRNA as a stress responsive marker in this model insect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, 18 Antonine-Maillet avenue, Moncton, New Brunswick E1A 3E9, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada.
authors.forename: Kenneth B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Storey
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Université de Moncton, 18 Antonine-Maillet avenue, Moncton, New Brunswick E1A 3E9, Canada. Electronic address: pier.morin@umoncton.ca.
authors.forename: Pier
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morin
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D058639:Cold-Shock Response; D005615:Freezing; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D036624:Solidago; D033621:Tephritidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Eurosta solidaginis; Freeze tolerance; MicroRNAs; Translational regulation