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Rapid cold-hardening blocks cold-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of pro-caspases in the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis

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Abstract

Apoptosis plays important roles in the selective elimination of sub-lethally damaged cells due to various environmental stresses. The rapid cold-hardening (RCH) response protects insects from the otherwise lethal consequences of injury due to cold-shock. We recently demonstrated that cold shock induces apoptotic cell death in insects and that RCH functions to specifically block cold-shock-induced apoptosis. In the present study we used isolated fat body, midgut, muscle, and Malpighian tubules from adult flesh flies Sarcophaga crassipalpis to test the following hypotheses: (1) cold-induced apoptosis varies among different tissues and (2) RCH blocks the apoptotic pathway by preventing the activation of pro-caspases. Cold-shock induced substantial amounts of apoptotic cell death that matched with tissue damage as determined using vital dyes. RCH treatment significantly reduced apoptotic cell death in all tested tissues. Caspase-3 (executioner) activity was 2–3 times higher in the cold- and heat-shocked groups than in control and RCH groups. Likewise, the activity of caspase-9 (initiator) showed a similar trend as for caspase-3 in all tissues but midgut. In addition, cold-shock and heat-shock treatments also increased caspase-2 activity 2–3 folds in both soluble and membrane fractions of fat body and muscle extracts compared to controls.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Tim Muir for assistance with statistical analysis and Amanda Tolle for comments on the manuscript. This research was supported by NSF Grant #IOS-0840772.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

    Shu-Xia Yi & Richard E. Lee Jr.

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  1. Shu-Xia Yi
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  2. Richard E. Lee Jr.
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Correspondence to Shu-Xia Yi.

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Yi, SX., Lee, R.E. Rapid cold-hardening blocks cold-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of pro-caspases in the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis . Apoptosis 16, 249–255 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10495-010-0570-0

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