Analysis of molecular mechanism of anhydrobiosis using a newly developed gene expression vector system of tardigrade

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K19302
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 43:Biology at molecular to cellular levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institutes of Natural Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Sae 大学共同利用機関法人自然科学研究機構(機構直轄研究施設), 生命創成探究センター, 特任助教 (60770336)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 乾燥耐性 / クマムシ / ライブイメージング / 外来遺伝子発現

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Tardigrades, microscopic animals, can tolerate desiccation by entering a dehydrated state (anhydrobiosis) in which the amount of water in their bodies is reduced to less than 3%. In this state, metabolism such as oxygen consumption and protein synthesis is temporarily suspended, but can resume within about 15 minutes after water is added. To date, we have performed omics analysis of the genome, transcriptome, and proteome to elucidate the anhydrobiotic mechanism of tardigrades, and have identified several candidate genes unique to tardigrades. In this research, we have developed a new gene expression system of tardigrades, which makes it possible to express any gene in an individual tardigrade, and successfully performed the world's first live imaging of tardigrades.

Free Research Field

極限環境生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

クマムシの乾眠能力は、生体の完全な乾燥保存の良いモデルであるだけでなく、生き物のなかの自由な水分子が存在しない状態として「生命に水は必須である」という生物学的な常識に切り込むことができるという点でも非常に興味深い。本研究で開発したクマムシへの外来遺伝子導入手法は、クマムシの細胞内において脱水・給水の過程でどのような現象が生じているのかをライブで観察することを可能にした。本研究成果は、SNSや国内の新聞で複数取り上げられたほか、イメージングの賞 NIKON JOICO AWARD 2023を受賞した。