| 研究実績の概要 |
The final year of the project logically wrapped up the whole research program. Using combination of bulk CAGE-Seq data and pilot single cell transcriptomics data we confirmed that there is clear tissue-specific and cell-type specific genetic program associated with complete desiccation tolerance in an anhydrobiotic insect. For example, using advanced bioinformatics approach we have discovered a special cell population in Pv11 cell culture that express unique profile of anhydrobiosis-associated genes (LIL proteins, PIMT, etc.). Before desiccation, this sub-population has occupied only 17% of whole population. After the re-hydration, this cell population occupied the majority of the cells, and, thus, we concluded that overall 15-20% survival of Pv11 is directly linked to the special transcriptional profile. At the same time we are not exactly sure what kind of mechanism trigger the successful genetic signature is not known and we will analyze it in a future studies. We also made sufficient progress in analyzing nervous system of the anhydrobiotic chironomid. We found that there is a specific set of protective genes exclusively active in brains of the insects. Our pilot data on single cell analysis further showed that cell types in brain have unique transcriptional profile upon desiccation. For example, on the current step we successfully identified the glia cells and characterized "effective gene set" providing protection against desiccation in this cell type. Finally we launched MidgeBase 3.0 database, with detail gene expression data based on the results of the project.
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