Commonalities in Plant and Insect Dormancy

Biotic and abiotic resources required for development and reproduction vary spatially and temporally for most organisms. These fluctuations may be due to unpredictable changes in microclimates or habitats, for example rain in the arid regions of the world. Resources also vary in a more predictable manner: in tropical regions, organisms are challenged by alternating wet and dry seasons and in the temperate zones, by seasonal variation in temperature. A common physiological adaptation to meet this challenge of variation in resources is dormancy. Some form of dormancy is found in organisms ranging from microorganisms to mammals. Dormancy is a complex dynamic physiological response characterized by decreased metabolic rate, increased metabolic reserves and enhanced tolerance to environmental stresses. This response is commonly triggered by the interaction of environmental cues such as photoperiod, temperature, humidity and food. Because of its role in synchronizing organisms to resources required for development and reproduction, dormancy is a physiological keystone in the agricultural production landscape. Furthermore, given the challenges of global climate change, it is essential that a more thorough understanding of dormancy be developed in order to position agriculture to manage predicted climatic trends. With the advent of modern molecular biology techniques, new avenues of research have opened up that would have been impractical or impossible previously. Some of the questions that are currently more accessible to investigation include: What are the evolutionary, ecological, and physiological significances of the perceived similarities and differences in the dormancy regulatory mechanisms found between microorganisms, plants, insects or even in human tumors? How will dormancy regulatory mechanisms of organisms respond to the predicted trend in seasonal environmental conditions? How can we take advantage of these new insights to engineer our agricultural systems to address the anticipated challenges?