Transcriptional response to developmental temperature differs from that of short-term acclimation temperature in Pieris rapae
We exposed Pieris rapae larvae to two non-stressful developmental temperatures from hatch to fourth instar (30+/-5C, 16+/-5C) and measured mortality rates and developmental times of each developmental temperature treatment group. We then assigned larvae to one of two testing temperature treatments (30+/-5C, 16+/-5C) for six hours on the day of molt to fourth instar. Finally, following the completion of testing temperature treatments, we extracted RNA from abdominal tissue from these four total treatment groups to identify genes associated with developmental plasticity versus short-term acclimation responses.