Characterization of the molecular mechanism of anhydrobiosis and functional gene analysis in the chironomid Polypedilum vanderplanki.

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Larvae of the sleeping chironomid (Polypedilum vanderplanki) can survive total desiccation in an ametabolic state known as anhydrobiosis. Gene expression during the recovery process was investigated by microarray. Whereas stress genes, such as antioxidants, were still expressed during the resuming of metabolism just after rehydration, 24 h later, we observed genes involved in the repair of biological molecules. DNA repair is tightly associated with cell cycle but synchronization of cell cycle was not detected during anhydrobiosis. On the other hand, oxidative stress induced anhydrobiosis-related gene expression. Consequently, reactive oxygen species could be the main trigger of anhydrobiosis. Thus, we characterized the transcription factor involved in oxidative stress sensing, Cnc-C, whose expression was up-regulated upon desiccation. RNAi experiments on P. vanderplanki cell cultures suggested that Cnc-C was involved in the induction of anhydrobiosis-related gene expression.