{
  "abstract": "Insects are vulnerable to desiccation as they are small and have a high surface area-to-volume ratios. Over 80% of their body water is lost through the cuticle, but insects possess specialised cells that synthesize cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to form a hydrophobic waxy barrier that reduces water loss. However, how rapidly CHCs are synthesized and transported across the cuticle under desiccating conditions remains poorly understood. To examine this, we exposed male Drosophila melanogaster to varying desiccation durations (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h) and compared CHC profiles for each of these time-points to an experimental control (no desiccation: 0 h). We found a rapid, time-dependent shift in CHC composition, marked by an early increase in short-chain hydrocarbons followed by enrichment of longer chain, methyl-branched CHCs over longer periods of desiccation exposure. Cumulative water loss increased most sharply within the first 2 h of desiccation and then progressed more slowly from 2 to 8 h before rising again at 10 h. These changes were closely mirrored by temporal shifts in CHC composition, suggesting that CHCs are dynamic and respond rapidly to desiccation stress.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Division of Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Navaranpura, Ahmedabad, India",
    "Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom",
    "School of Science, Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Abhishek Nair"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ramakrishnan Vasudeva"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Christopher Mitchell"
    },
    {
      "name": "John Hunt"
    },
    {
      "name": "David J. Hosken"
    },
    {
      "name": "Manmohan D. Sharma"
    },
    {
      "name": "Subhash Rajpurohit"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fvyhhg9jcmg9s.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0359617",
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  "id": "fvyhhg9jcmg9s",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359617",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1109|Insect Pheromone Research and Control"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Biochemistry/Enzymology/Enzyme chemistry/Enzyme regulation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Drosophila/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animal physiology/Invertebrate physiology/Insect physiology/Cuticular hydrocarbons"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Drosophila/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Entomology/Insect physiology/Cuticular hydrocarbons"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Entomology/Insects"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Entomology/Insects/Drosophila/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Ecology and environmental sciences/Natural resources/Water resources"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical compounds/Hydrocarbons"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical compounds/Hydrocarbons/Alkanes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Mathematics/Statistics/Statistical methods/Analysis of variance"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Animal models/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Animal studies/Experimental organism systems/Model organisms/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Mathematical and statistical techniques/Statistical methods/Analysis of variance"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Model organisms/Drosophila melanogaster"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7204493367",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0359617&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-13",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fvyhhg9jcmg9s.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:30Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0359617",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0359617"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:zoology",
      "subfield": "zoology-behaviour"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Temporal shifts in insect cuticular hydrocarbons in response to experimental desiccation",
  "title_text": "Temporal shifts in insect cuticular hydrocarbons in response to experimental desiccation",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:30Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fvyhhg9jcmg9s",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}