| Project Detail |
How ants survive the cold In temperate and boreal climates, cold tolerance is vital for the survival of ectotherms like ants, which are key contributors to ecosystem services. Despite their ability to endure extreme cold, such as temperatures down to -40° C, the molecular mechanisms behind this adaptation remain poorly understood. Supported by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the ChillAnts project sets out to fill this knowledge gap by investigating how evolutionary pressures have shaped cold-tolerance in ants. The project will examine boreal, temperate, and Mediterranean ant species to understand their cold-hardiness, genetic responses, and metabolomic reorganisation. This research promises to uncover novel cold-tolerance mechanisms, enhancing our understanding of how insects thrive in cold environments. The acquisition of cold-tolerance is one of the most ecologically relevant processes for ectotherms inhabiting temperate and boreal climates. Given the fundamental importance of cold-adaptation in shaping ectothermic species’ distribution, much effort has been put into deciphering the physiological mechanisms constraining the plasticity of their cold-tolerance. However, we still know little about how evolutionary pressures have shaped cold-tolerance acquisition in some key and ecologically relevant models for colder-ecosystems such as ants. Ants are among the most represented and abundant insects in temperate and boreal climates, providing unprecedented amounts of ecosystem services by their sheer biomass. Some higher-latitude species further display the striking ability to survive prolonged exposure to temperatures of -40°C, yet, to this day we still lack a clear and comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms supporting this impressive feat. Considering this central gap in our knowledge, we propose here to explore the molecular-level mechanisms associated with the temporal acquisition of cold-tolerance in ants inside a consistent study system made of groups of boreal, temperate, and Mediterranean closely related species. Using this phylogenetic framework, we will (i) compare species’ potential for cold-hardiness and link cold-tolerance acquisition with the (ii) genetic response and (iii) metabolomic reorganization in models. Overall, this project proposes to explore important yet unanswered aspects of insect cryobiology that are located at the frontier of our current understanding of ecophysiology. It will explore the comparative physiology of cold-acclimation in boreal ants, allow for the potential discovery of novel cold-tolerance mechanisms in insects, and ultimately, feed data into our integrated understanding of how from gene to organisms, the acquisition of cold-tolerance has shaped the success of insect life in colder environments. |
