How worms survive desiccation: Trehalose pro water
How worms survive desiccation: Trehalose pro water
Erkut, C.; Penkov, S.; Fahmy, K.; Kurzchalia, T. V.
Abstract
While life requires water, many organisms, known as anhydrobiotes, can survive in the absence of water for extended periods of time. Although discovered 300 years ago, we know very little about the fascinating phenomenon of anhydrobiosis. In this paper, we summarize our previous findings on the desiccation tolerance of the Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larva. A special emphasis is given to the role of trehalose in protecting membranes against desiccation. We also propose a simple mechanism for this process.
Keywords: infrared spectroscopy; anhydrobiosis; C. elegans
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Worm 1(2012)1, 61-65
DOI: 10.4161/worm.19040
Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-16819