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Comparative salinity tolerance in native flies from the subantarctic Kerguelen Islands: a metabolomic approach

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Abstract

The quasi-extirpation of the cabbage Pringlea antiscorbutica in some locations at the Kerguelen Islands has large impacts on the distribution of the native fly Calycopteryx moseleyi. This insect has long been supposed as being subordinant to P. antiscorbutica until both larvae and adults were observed under seaweed in littoral margins. Physiological plasticity to saline conditions is expected in C. moseleyi, and metabolic rearrangements in salt-exposed specimens should thus be similar between individuals from cabbages and seaweeds. Individuals of C. moseleyi from non-saline (cabbages) and saline (seaweeds) habitats were experimentally subjected to different salinities (0, 35, 70 practical salinity units) and compared to the widely distributed native Anatalanta aptera flies that coexist with C. moseleyi under the seaweeds. A progressive drop of the survival and body water content was observed in C. moseleyi from cabbages exposed to increasing saline conditions. Body water contents remained similar at 35 and 70 practical salinity units in C. moseleyi from seaweeds, while it did not change over the whole saline gradient in A. aptera. Metabolic profiles revealed that both fly populations from the seaweeds accumulated compatible solutes in the form of alanine or glutamic acid when they were exposed to salinity. A distinct pattern was observed in C. moseleyi specimens from cabbages, whose metabolic profiles revealed a progressive loss of metabolic homoeostasis. We conclude that the C. moseleyi specimens from the cabbages and seaweeds differentiated, as also supported by their contrasted morphotypes, and that the limited salinity tolerance of individuals from cabbages may hinder their future expansion to seaweeds.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the ‘Institut Polaire Francais Paul-Émile Victor’ (Prog IPEV Subanteco) and the ‘Agence Nationale de la Recherche’ (ANR-07-VULN-004, Evince). We would like to thank two anonymous referees for their thoughtful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, Université de Rennes 1, 263 Avenue du Gal Leclerc, CS 74205, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

    D. Renault, M. Lombard & J. Vingère

  2. UR0633, Unité de Recherche Zoologie Forestière, INRA, 2163 Avenue de la Pomme de Pin, CS 40001 Ardon, 45075, Orléans, France

    M. Laparie

Authors
  1. D. Renault
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  2. M. Lombard
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  3. J. Vingère
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  4. M. Laparie
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Correspondence to D. Renault.

Additional information

This article is an invited contribution on Life in Antarctica: Boundaries and Gradients in a Changing Environment as the main theme of the XIth SCAR Biology Symposium. J.-M. Gili and R. Zapata Guardiola (Guest Editors).

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1

Map of the Kerguelen Islands with a focus on the Golfe du Morbihan. The specimens of Calycopteryx moseleyi (cabbages, seaweeds) and Anatalanta aptera (seaweeds) were sampled at Pointe Suzanne. The experimental exposure of the flies at 0, 35 or 70 practical salinity units was conducted at the scientific station (Port-aux-Français). (PPT 428 kb)

Supplementary material 2

List of metabolites identified by GC/MS at the three saline conditions in adults of Calycopteryx moseleyi sampled from cabbages or seaweeds and Anatalanta aptera sampled from seaweeds. (XLS 39 kb)

Supplementary material 3

Metabolite content of Anatalanta aptera adults exposed to different saline conditions. (XLSX 84 kb)

Supplementary material 4

Metabolite content of Calycopteryx moseleyi adults from seaweeds exposed to different saline conditions. (XLSX 83 kb)

Supplementary material 5

Metabolite content of Calycopteryx moseleyi adults from cabbages exposed to different saline conditions (XLSX 84 kb)

Supplementary material 6

PLS-DA plot scores based on the projection of the metabolic profiles (7 samples per experimental condition) of Calycopteryx moseleyi from cabbages and Anatalanta aptera and Calycopteryx moseleyi from seaweeds. The flies were held at 0 psu for 5 days. (TIFF 128 kb)

Supplementary material 7

The variable importance plots shows the metabolites that contributed the most to the first component (based on the VIP scores) of the PLS-DA. Anatalanta aptera from seaweeds held at 0 psu for 5 days: An_SW_0; Calycopteryx moseleyi from seaweeds held at 0 psu for 5 days: Cal_SW_0; Calycopteryx moseleyi from cabbages held at 0 psu for 5 days: Cal_Cab_0. (TIFF 185 kb)

Supplementary material 8

PLS-DA plot scores based on the projection of the metabolic profiles (7 samples per experimental condition) of Calycopteryx moseleyi from cabbages and Anatalanta aptera and Calycopteryx moseleyi from seaweeds. The flies were held at 35 psu salinity for 5 days. (TIFF 129 kb)

Supplementary material 9

The variable importance plots shows the metabolites that contributed the most to the first component (based on the VIP scores) of the PLS-DA. Anatalanta aptera from seaweeds held at 35 psu salinity for 5 days: An_SW_35; Calycopteryx moseleyi from seaweeds held at 35 psu salinity for 5 days: Cal_SW_35; Calycopteryx moseleyi from cabbages held at 35 psu salinity for 5 days: Cal_Cab_35. (TIFF 183 kb)

Supplementary material 10

PLS-DA plot scores based on the projection of the metabolic profiles (7 samples per experimental condition) of Calycopteryx moseleyi from cabbages and Anatalanta aptera and Calycopteryx moseleyi from seaweeds. The flies were held at 70 psu salinity for 5 days. (TIFF 138 kb)

Supplementary material 11

The variable importance plots shows the metabolites that contributed the most to the first component (based on the VIP scores) of the PLS-DA. Anatalanta aptera from seaweeds held at 70 psu for 5 days: An_SW_70; Calycopteryx moseleyi from seaweeds held at 70 psu for 5 days: Cal_SW_70; Calycopteryx moseleyi from cabbages held at 70 psu for 5 days: Cal_Cab_70. (TIFF 177 kb)

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Renault, D., Lombard, M., Vingère, J. et al. Comparative salinity tolerance in native flies from the subantarctic Kerguelen Islands: a metabolomic approach. Polar Biol 39, 47–56 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1605-8

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