Trehalose: a Molecule Responsible for Desiccation Tolerance in the Sleeping Chironomid, Polypedilum Vanderplanki

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Life and death are mutually exclusive states. But some organisms showing no sign of living due to complete desiccation are nevertheless able to resume active life after rehydration. This peculiar biological state of organisms is referred to as cryptobiosis. Larvae of an insect species, the African chironomid Polypedilum vanderplanki, live in temporary rock pools in semi-arid areas and are able to achieve cryptobiosis. P. vanderplanki larvae accumulate trehalose to levels of about 20% of their dry weight (40μg/individual) upon cryptobiosis. Quickly desiccated larvae accumulated little trehalose and failed to recover after rehydration. A classical insect endocrine technique revealed that P. vanderplanki larvae without brain could synthesize trehalose and enter cryptobiosis successfully, in spite of the fact that the brain has a significant role in regulating both induction and termination of insect diapause. Tissues isolated from P. vanderplanki larvae could be preserved in a dry state at room temperature for 18 months in viable form. This confirms that central nervous system is not involved in cryptobiosis-induction, even in such a multicellular and rather complex organism, P. vanderplanki. Vitrification of trehalose seemed to be of significance for stabilizing cryptobiosis in P. vanderplanki.
日本熱測定学会の論文