为了适应各种海洋极端环境，卤虫经过长期的适应进化形成了可产生新陈代谢停滞、细胞静息的休眠胚胎的特殊生命过程，并且适宜环境条件下打破细胞静息并重新启动新陈代谢和胚胎发育，卤虫的胚胎休眠终止并形成新的个体。卤虫这种特殊的生命过程的分子机制至今尚未被阐明。细胞静息调控对于细胞分裂和胚胎发育及肿瘤发生等有着重要生物学意义，而卤虫休眠胚胎为细胞静息调控的研究提供了理想的动物模型。本项目针对卤虫休眠过程中控制细胞静息的相关蛋白的基因表达特征，蛋白质及后修饰的变动规律及在细胞内分布规律开展研究。在筛选休眠胚胎特异性表达基因的基础上，结合生物信息学分析确定与细胞静息调控相关分子。通过基因敲低和过表达的功能验证和基因的细胞转染以及各分子信号途径的分析阐明调控卤虫休眠胚胎形成的分子机制。最后，开展卤虫休眠胚胎和肿瘤干细胞的细胞静息调控的分子途径的验证和比较学研究，为阐明细胞静息调控的分子机制奠定重要理论基础。

To cope with harsh and complex habitats，Artemia has evolved a special process of diapause embryo during long period of stress tolerance. In the diapause state, with reduced metabolic activity and with cell division turned off, and the diapause can be terminated and develop to a new individual by certain favorable environments. However, the molecular mechanism of the diapause formation of Artemia is still unclear up to date. Cell quiescence is important for cell division, embryonic development, and even in the occurrence of tumor, thus, the Artemia system provides an excellent model system in which to study the molecular mechanisms of cell cycle arrest in cell dormancy and quiescence. In this investigation, we will first characterize the gene expressions related to the diapause formation, proteins and their modifications and localization in cell. Based on the screening of the genes that expressed specific during diapause embryo formation and bioinformatic analyzing of the encoding proteins, we will focus the target molecules related to cell quiescence. This study will analyzed the molecular function by RNA interference and gene over expression, and thus clarify the molecular pathways and elucidate the molecular regulation mechanism of the Artemia diapause formation. Besides, we will validate and compare the molecular pathways that control the cell quiescence in both processes of Artemia diapause formation and tumor dormancy, the results will insight the molecular mechanism of regulation of cell quiescence.