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Invariance and plasticity in the Drosophila melanogaster metabolomic network in response to temperature.

TitleInvariance and plasticity in the Drosophila melanogaster metabolomic network in response to temperature.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsHariharan R, Hoffman JM, Thomas AS, Soltow QA, Jones DP, Promislow DEL
JournalBMC systems biology
Volume8
Issue1
Pagination2
Date Published2014 Dec 24
ISSN1752-0509
Abstract

<p>BackgroundMetabolomic responses to extreme thermal stress have recently been investigated in Drosophila melanogaster. However, a network level understanding of metabolomic responses to longer and less drastic temperature changes, which more closely reflect variation in natural ambient temperatures experienced during development and adulthood, is currently lacking. Here we use high-resolution, non-targeted metabolomics to dissect metabolomic changes in D. melanogaster elicited by moderately cool (18&deg;C) or warm (27&deg;C) developmental and adult temperature exposures.ResultsWe find that temperature at which larvae are reared has a dramatic effect on metabolomic network structure measured in adults. Using network analysis, we are able to identify modules that are highly differentially expressed in response to changing developmental temperature, as well as modules whose correlation structure is strongly preserved across temperature.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the effect of temperature on the metabolome provides an easily studied and powerful model for understanding the forces that influence invariance and plasticity in biological networks.</p>

Alternate JournalBMC Syst Biol