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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Insect Genetics and Biochemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196725
Title: STRESS PROTEINS OF THE ANTARCTIC MIDGE, BELGICA ANTARCTICA

Author
item Rinehart, Joe
item HAYWARD, SCOTT - UNIV LIVERPOOL, U.K.
item SANDRO, LUKE - MIAMI UNIV, OXFORD, OH
item LEE, RICHARD - MIAMI UNIV, OXFORD, OH
item DENLINGER, DAVID - OHIO ST UNIV, COLUMBUS

Submitted to: Genbank
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/29/2006
Publication Date: 4/29/2006
Citation: Rinehart, J.P., Hayward, S.A., Sandro, L.H., Lee, R.E., Denlinger, D.L. 2006. Stress proteins of the antarctic midge, belgica antarctica. Genbank. Accession numbers: DQ459546 - DQ459549.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Antarctica presents one of the earth’s most inhospitable environments. Though an abundance of animals have adapted to life associated with the sea in this part of the world, few animals have adapted to the rigors of a terrestrial existence. One exception is the flightless midge Belgica antarctica which at 2mm long, is the largest free-living animal on the continent. Not only must this midge survive the lengthy austral winter as a larva, it also must survive the austral summer, which is characterized by wildly varying and surprising high temperatures in the microclimate that the midge inhabits both as a feeding larva and as an adult. As an initial step toward understanding the stress tolerance of this species, we have cloned three different heat shock proteins and a portion of the 28s ribosomal RNA subunit. Using these clones as probes in northern blot hybridization, with the 28s rRNA serving as a control, we will characterize the expression of these genes during development and to a variety of stresses. This work will represent the first molecular analysis of the mechanisms that have allowed this insect to adapt to the harsh conditions of the Antarctic continent. Genbank Accessions: DQ459546 - DQ459549 DQ459546 B. antarctica hsp70 DQ459547 B. antarctica hsp90 DQ459548 B. antarctica small heat shock protein DQ459549 B. antarctica 28s ribosomal RNA