Conceptual framework of the eco-physiological phases of insect diapause development justified by transcriptomic profiling

Abstract

Significance Here we reassess the conceptual framework of insect diapause as a dynamic succession of endogenously and exogenously driven changes in physiology (“physiogenesis”) by assaying the gradual dynamics in the transcriptome as insects traverse the diapause developmental program. We show the objectivity and eco-physiological relevance of the different phases of diapause development by describing unique transcriptional profiles in each phase. Accordingly, the concept should serve future researchers as a general platform for the unification of timing scales and the interpretation of various “-omics” data obtained in diverse insect species encountering different ecological situations. We argue such standardized phasing of diapause development is critical for further molecular dissection of the mechanistic basis of insect diapause.