Kütiküler ipuçlarıyla zamanın izlenmesi: Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)'da yetiştirme koşullarının ve nesiller arası farklılaşmanın rolü

Öz

Yetişkin sineklerin kimyasal profilleri, çevresel faktörlerden ve nesiller arası değişimlerden etkilenmektedir, ancak bu etkilerin derecesi ve mekanizmaları yeterince anlaşılmamıştır. Bu araştırma, yetiştirme ortamlarının ve nesiller arası değişimlerin, Haziran 2019'da Swindon'daki (Birleşik Krallık) doğal ortamdan toplanan yetişkin sineklerin kutiküler hidrokarbon profilleri üzerindeki etkisini titizlikle incelemiştir. Hidrokarbon profillerini analiz etmek için gaz kromatografisi-kütle spektrometrisi (GC-MS) kullanılmıştır. Ardından kimyasal değişim desenlerini belirlemek için kemometrik analiz uygulanmış, bu sayede örnekler kimyasal parmak izlerine göre sınıflandırılmıştır. Laboratuvarda muhafaza edilen ve doğal ortamdan toplanan örnekler arasında hidrokarbon bileşiminde önemli farklılıklar belirlenmiş ve çevre koşullarının hidrokarbon yapısı üzerindeki etkisi vurgulanmıştır. Ayrıca, kontrollü bir ortamda yetiştirilen nesiller arasında hidrokarbon içeriğinde tespit edilen kademeli değişiklikler, bu durumun adaptif fizyolojik veya epigenetik mekanizmalarla ilişkili olduğunu düşündürmüştür. Bu sonuçların etkileri aynı zamanda adli soruşturmalara da uzanmaktadır; kutiküler hidrokarbon profilleri (CHC'ler) kriminal vakalarda ölüm sonrası zaman aralığı (PMI) tahmin doğruluğunu ve tür tanımlamasını geliştirme potansiyeli göstermektedir. Yetiştirme koşulları ve nesiller arasında CHC bileşiminde ölçülebilir farklılıklar (çoğu karşılaştırmada AUC değerleri ≥0.92) sergileyerek, bu çalışma kimyasal belirteçlerin adli soruşturmalarda daha geniş uygulanması için bir temel sağlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Nesil farklılıkları
• hidrokarbonlar
• yetiştirme koşulları

Tracing time through cuticular clues: The role of rearing conditions and generational divergence in Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract

The chemical profiles of the cuticle of adult flies are highly influenced by environmental factors and generational variation, although the extent and mechanisms of these influences are still poorly understood. This research rigorously investigates the influence of rearing environment and generational changes on the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of adult flies collected from the natural environment in Swindon (UK), in June 2019. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze the hydrocarbon profiles. Then, chemometric analysis was applied to determine the chemical variation patterns, allowing the samples to be classified according to their chemical fingerprints. Significant differences in hydrocarbon composition were found between laboratory-maintained and field-collected specimens, underscoring the impact of environmental conditions on CHC expression. Additionally, gradual modifications in hydrocarbon content were detected across generations raised in the controlled environment, suggesting the involvement of adaptive physiological or epigenetic mechanisms. These findings contribute valuable insights into cuticle plasticity, highlighting its relevance in forensic entomology, chemical ecology, and insect evolutionary biology. The implications also extend to forensic investigations, where cuticular hydrocarbon profiles (CHCs) demonstrate potential for enhancing postmortem interval (PMI) estimation accuracy and species identification in criminal cases. By demonstrating quantifiable differences in CHC composition across rearing conditions and generations (AUC values ≥0.92 for all comparisons), this study provides a foundation for the broader application of chemical markers in forensic investigations.

Keywords

• Generation differences
• hydrocarbons
• rearing conditions

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