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Section Symposium

Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity

Environmental Control of Phenotype: The Role of Epigenetics in the Ecology and Evolution of Insects

Single nuclei multiome ATAC and RNA sequencing reveals the molecular basis of thermal acclimation in Drosophila melanogaster embryos

Tuesday, November 7, 2023
9:25 AM – 9:40 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Chesapeake J-K
In-Person
Thermal acclimation is a physiological shift that allows organisms to tolerate extreme temperatures. Previous work has shown this process to take several days, as cells adjust the constituents of lipid membranes and the proteome. Here we demonstrate that thermal acclimation occurs much faster, over just a few hours, in developing Drosophila melanogasterembryos. Given the speed at which embryonic acclimation occurs, we hypothesized that chromatin-state-mediated changes in the transcriptome form the molecular basis of this trait. To test this hypothesis, we performed single nuclei multiome ATAC and RNA sequencing on embryos that were acclimated to different temperatures. We found coordinated changes in chromatin state and the transcriptome in response to thermal acclimation. Although most of these shifts were common to all cell types, many significant changes were cell type specific. We discuss the implications of our results in the contexts of developmental and ecological physiology. Overall, our results indicate that chromatin modification is likely to be a heretofore underappreciated mechanism of thermal plasticity.