Belgica antarctica Transcriptome or Gene expression

The Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, is the world's southernmost free-living insect and the only true insect endemic to Antarctica. In this environment, water is frozen and hence unavailable for much of the year, thus exposing larvae to a constant risk of desiccation. In this study, we used RNA-seq to profile gene expression both in response to desiccation at a constant temperature and in response to cryoprotective dehydration, an overwintering strategy in which gradual decreases in temperature cause water to be lost to surrounding ice, allowing the larvae to remain unfrozen at subzero temperatures. Larve of B. antarctica were collected on offshore islands near Palmer Station (64°46'S, 64°04'W) in January, 2010.