Transcriptome changes in Drosophila HB10 cells in response to a temperature shift from 24 to 14°C

Cells in ectothermic organisms often maintain homeostatic function over a considerable range of ambient temperatures. However, as temperature has pronounced effects on all biological processes, but not necessarily in a uniform manner on each of the myriad of distinct processes, cellular acclimation to distinct temperatures is predicted to involve complex regulation. Initially, to assess the effects of temperature change within the readily tolerated temperature range on the transcriptome, we have performed expression profiling with S2R+ cells, a hemocyte-like cell line derived from the ectothermic organism Drosophila melanogaster. To adress the cell-type specificity of the transcriptome change induced by a temperature downshift from the optimal temperature to a temperature at the lower end of the readily tolerated range, we have performed an anologous experiment with cultured Drosophila HB10 cells. These cells with similarities to adult muscle cell progenitors have recently been derived from Drosophila embryos with the method (Simcox et al. 2008. PLoS Genetics 4, e1000142) involving expression of activated ras using Act5C-GAL4 in combination with UASt-ras85D[V12]. Aliquots of HB10 cells were plated and shifted to different temperatures (24 and 14°C). Twenty-four hours after the temperature shift, total RNA was isolated and processed for hybridization of microarrays. Three replicate experiments were preformed.