Genes and heat stress recovery.

Comparisons among genetically divergent populations.

Presenter: Danielle Darrow

Co-Presenter(s):
N/A

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 22-23

Semester: Spring

Faculty Mentor: Nathan Rank

Department: Biology

Funding Source/Sponsor: Other

Other Funding Source/Program: National Science Foundation

President's Strategic Plan Goal: Sustainability and Environmental Inquiry

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1sqAbiVORKphC778VKkIRCJIS_onrkuqm

Abstract:
Natural populations of insects are confronted with variability in environmental factors that force them to adapt to survive. In addition to this, insects living in high elevations must be able to obtain sufficient oxygen levels in order to mount a stress response in various biological situations. Because cellular respiration depends on coordination between gene products from mitochondria and nuclear genomes, local adaptation may create incompatibilities that reduce an insect’s ability to cope with stress. I analyzed data collected in 2021 from the White Mountain Research Center comparing running performance of offspring from populations that differ in mitochondrial genotype. Contrary to expectations, I found that the origin of male beetles had a larger effect on recovery from stress than limited oxygen supply. I also determined that mitochondrial genes differ consistently among beetle populations from the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains.