title: Gene expression analysis of overwintering mountain pine beetle larvae suggests multiple systems involved in overwintering stress, cold hardiness, and preparation for spring development.
abstract: Cold-induced mortality has historically been a key aspect of mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), population control, but little is known about the molecular basis for cold tolerance in this insect. We used RNA-seq analysis to monitor gene expression patterns of mountain pine beetle larvae at four time points during their overwintering period-early-autumn, late-autumn, early-spring, and late-spring. Changing transcript profiles over the winter indicates a multipronged physiological response from larvae that is broadly characterized by gene transcripts involved in insect immune responses and detoxification during the autumn. In the spring, although transcripts associated with developmental process are present, there was no particular biological process dominating the transcriptome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeanne A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bonnett
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Luke J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Spooner
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Jordie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: Department of Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Macaire M S
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.affiliation: Department of Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia,Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University,Burnaby,British Columbia,Canada.
authors.forename: Christopher I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Keeling
authors.affiliation: Department of Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bohlmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Dezene P W
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Huber
keywords: Anti-freeze; Cold tolerance; Cytochromes P450; Glycerol; Heat shock proteins; Insect overwintering; Lodgepole pine; Mountain pine beetle; Physiological stress