Can Metamorphosis Renew Tissue and Impact Cellular Aging?

In holometabolous insects, metamorphosis is a transformative process that largely consists of structural remodeling using stem cell-like imaginal cells to replace older or otherwise damaged disposable tissue. In the alfalfa leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata, and the orchard mason bee, Osmia lignaria, telomere length (a common biological marker for cellular aging) is increased following metamorphosis. To determine if these telomere dynamics are shared with other holometabolous insects, we will explore telomere length in larval and adult tissues in the model organism, Manduca sexta, the tobacco hornworm. Using third and fifth instar larvae as well as adults following metamorphosis, we will measure telomere length in neural tissue, gonads, cuticle, muscle, and hemocytes. We predict that non-disposable tissues such as neural tissue and gonads will have shorter telomeres, but that disposable and regenerated tissue such as cuticle and muscle will have increased telomeres following metamorphosis because the adult tissues are made from imaginal cells. We predict that constantly regenerated cells such as hemocytes will experience no significant change in telomere length. Understanding how M. sexta telomere length is maintained could provide insight into age-related disease and physiological dysfunction. Moreover, this would also provide an impetus for other researchers interested in cellular aging. 48500-2506-FAR0036627 This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.