TL:DR – A new study has demonstrated the ability of red flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum) to recycle water in their rectums. This feat allows the beetles to survive in some of the driest environments on Earth.
The research team of Kenneth Halberg and colleagues built a transcriptomic atlas of the beetles’ life stages, which allowed them to systematically compare gene expression across tissues and stages. By searching the atlas for genes with enriched expression in the rectum, the researchers were able to identify a specific gene associated with this phenomenon, Nha1.
Electrophysiological experiments confirmed that Nha1 plays a crucial role in ion transport in rectal cells and water uptake by the rectum. In fact, silencing the expression of Nha1 led to water loss, emphasizing the importance of this gene in the beetle’s survival.
Red flour beetles have a large surface-to-volume ratio that makes them particularly vulnerable to environmental water loss. However, the beetles’ rectal complex enables them to recycle water from their faeces and even harvest water from moist air. This remarkable ability is key to the beetle’s survival in arid settings.
The findings of this study shed light on the evolution of water recycling and conservation mechanisms in insects. Furthermore, the transcriptomic atlas of red flour beetles, known as BeetleAtlas, can be used to address a range of unresolved questions on Tribolium biology. Overall, this research highlights an intriguing adaptation that allows insects to thrive in challenging environments.
“NHA1 is a cation/proton antiporter essential for the water-conserving functions of the rectal complex in Tribolium castaneum,” by Muhammad T. Naseem et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci