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PROGRESS IN THE RESEARCH ON MECHANISM OF INSECT COLD‐HARDINESS
Author(s) -
Zhao Zhangwu
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
insect science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1744-7917
pISSN - 1672-9609
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7917.1997.tb00100.x
Subject(s) - overwintering , hardiness (plants) , biology , insect , antifreeze protein , supercooling , hemolymph , ice nucleus , botany , ecology , biochemistry , nucleation , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , cultivar , thermodynamics
A number of freeze‐tolerant insect species contain proteins/lipoproteins or insoluble crystals that are ice nucleating active at relatively high subzero temperatures. Recently ice nucleating active bacteria and fungi have been identified as normal flora in insect guts. However, most insects are unable to survive internal ice formation and the key factor in their overwintering survival is the regulation of the temperature at which they spontaneously freeze. To enhance their supercooling capacity overwintering insects eliminate endogenous ice nucleators, accumulate low molecular weight polyols and sugars, and synthesize hemolymph antifreeze proteins or peptides. The factors affecting the supercooling capacity of overwintering insects or the mechanism of cold‐hardiness are discussed.