1. |
- Bernal, Ximena E., et al.
(författare)
-
Empowering Latina scientists
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 363:6429, s. 825-826
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
|
|
2. |
- Beltran-Pardo, Eliana, et al.
(författare)
-
Sequence analysis of the DNA-repair gene rad51 in the tardigrades Milnesium cf. tardigradum, Hypsibius dujardini and Macrobiotus cf. harmsworthi
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Journal of limnology. - 1129-5767 .- 1723-8633. ; 72:s1, s. 80-91
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tardigrades are known for being resistant to extreme conditions, including tolerance to ionising and UV radiation in both the hydratedand the dehydrated state. It is known that these factors may cause damage to DNA. It has recently been shown that single and double DNAstrand breaks occur when tardigrades are maintained for a long time in the anhydrobiotic state. This may suggest that perhaps tardigrades rely on efficient DNA repair mechanisms. Among all proteins that comprise the DNA repair system, recombinases such as RecA or Rad51 have a very important function: DNA exchange activity. This enzyme is used in the homologous recombination and allows repair of thedamaged strand using homologous non-damaged strands as a template. In this study, Rad51 induction was evaluated by western blot in Milnesium cf. tardigradum, after exposure to gamma radiation. The Rad51 protein was highly induced by radiation, when compared to the control. The rad51 genes were searched in three tardigrades: Milnesium cf. tardigradum, Hypsibius dujardini and Macrobiotus cf. harmsworthi. The gene sequences were obtained by preparing and sequencing transcriptome libraries for H. dujardini and M. cf. harmsworthi and designing rad51 degenerate primers specific for M. cf. tardigradum. Comparison of Rad51 putative proteins from tardigrades with other organisms showed that they are highly similar to the corresponding sequence from the nematode Trichinella spiralis. A structure-based sequence alignment from tardigrades and other organisms revealed that putative Rad51 predicted proteins from tardigrades contain the expected motifs for these important recombinases. In a cladogram tree based on this alignment, tardigrades tend to cluster together suggesting that they have selective differences in these genes that make them diverge between species. Predicted Rad51 structures from tardigrades were also compared with crystalline structure of Rad51 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These results reveal that S. cerevisiae Rad51 structure is very similar to that of the three analysed tardigrades. On the other hand the predicted structure of Rad51 from M. cf. harmsworthi and H. dujardini are closer related to each other, than each of them to that of M. cf. tardigradum.
|
|
3. |
- Jönsson, Ingemar, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
-
Tolerance to gamma-irradiation in eggs of the tardigrade Richtersius coronifer depends on stage of development
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Journal of limnology. - 1129-5767 .- 1723-8633. ; 72:s1, s. 73-79
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tardigrades are known as one of the most radiation tolerant animals on Earth, and several studies on tolerance in adult tardigrades have been published. In contrast, very few studies on radiation tolerance of embryonic stages have been reported. Here we report a study on tolerance to gamma irradiation in eggs of the eutardigrade Richtersius coronifer. Irradiation of eggs collected directly from a natural substrate (moss) showed a clear dose-response, with a steep decline in hatchability at doses up to 0.4 kGy followed by a relatively constant hatchability around 25% up to 2 kGy, and a decline to ca. 5% at 4 kGy above which no eggs hatched. Analysis of the time required for eggs to hatch after irradiation (residual development time) showed that hatching of eggs after exposure to high doses of gamma radiation was associated with short residual development time. Since short residual development time means that the egg was irradiated at a late developmental stage, this suggests that eggs were more tolerant to radiation late in development. This was also confirmed in another experiment in which stage of development at irradiation was controlled. No eggs irradiated at the early developmental stage hatched, and only one egg at middle stage hatched, while eggs irradiated in the late stage hatched at a rate indistinguishable from controls. This suggests that the eggs are more sensitive to radiation in the early stages of development, or that tolerance to radiation is acquired only late in development, shortly before the eggs hatch, hypotheses that are not mutually exclusive. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering specific cell cycle phases and developmental stages in studies of tolerance to radiation in tardigrades, and the potential importance of embryonic studies in revealing the mechanisms behind the radiation tolerance of tardigrades and other cryptobiotic animals.
|
|
4. |
- Beltran-Pardo, Eliana A., et al.
(författare)
-
Sequence analysis of the DNA-repair gene rad51 in the tardigrades Milnesium cf. tardigradum, Hypsibius dujardini and Macrobiotus cf. harmsworthi
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Journal of limnology. - : PAGEPress Publications. - 1129-5767 .- 1723-8633. ; 72, s. 80-91
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tardigrades are known for being resistant to extreme conditions, including tolerance to ionising and UV radiation in both the hydrated and the dehydrated state. It is known that these factors may cause damage to DNA. It has recently been shown that single and double DNA strand breaks occur when tardigrades are maintained for a long time in the anhydrobiotic state. This may suggest that perhaps tardigrades rely on efficient DNA repair mechanisms. Among all proteins that comprise the DNA repair system, recombinases such as RecA or Rad51 have a very important function: DNA exchange activity. This enzyme is used in the homologous recombination and allows repair of the damaged strand using homologous non-damaged strands as a template. In this study, Rad51 induction was evaluated by western blot in Milnesium cf. tardigradum, after exposure to gamma radiation. The Rad51 protein was highly induced by radiation, when compared to the control. The rad51 genes were searched in three tardigrades: Milnesium cf. tardigradum, Hypsibius dujardini and Macrobiotus cf. harmsworthi. The gene sequences were obtained by preparing and sequencing transcriptome libraries for H. dujardini and M. cf. harmsworthi and designing rad51 degenerate primers specific for M. cf. tardigradum. Comparison of Rad51 putative proteins from tardigrades with other organisms showed that they are highly similar to the corresponding sequence from the nematode Trichinella spiralis. A structure-based sequence alignment from tardigrades and other organisms revealed that putative Rad51 predicted proteins from tardigrades contain the expected motifs for these important recombinases. In a cladogram tree based on this alignment, tardigrades tend to cluster together suggesting that they have selective differences in these genes that make them diverge between species. Predicted Rad51 structures from tardigrades were also compared with crystalline structure of Rad51 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These results reveal that S. cerevisiae Rad51 structure is very similar to that of the three analysed tardigrades. On the other hand the predicted structure of Rad51 from M. cf. harmsworthi and H. dujardini are closer related to each other, than each of them to that of M. cf. tardigradum.
|
|
5. |
- Jönsson, Ingemar, et al.
(författare)
-
Tolerance to gamma-irradiation in eggs of the tardigrade Richtersius coronifer depends on stage of development
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Journal of limnology. - : PAGEPress Publications. - 1129-5767 .- 1723-8633. ; 72, s. 73-79
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tardigrades are known as one of the most radiation tolerant animals on Earth, and several studies on tolerance in adult tardigrades have been published. In contrast, very few studies on radiation tolerance of embryonic stages have been reported. Here we report a study on tolerance to gamma irradiation in eggs of the eutardigrade Richtersius coronifer. Irradiation of eggs collected directly from a natural substrate (moss) showed a clear dose-response, with a steep decline in hatchability at doses up to 0.4 kGy followed by a relatively constant hatchability around 25% up to 2 kGy, and a decline to ca. 5% at 4 kGy above which no eggs hatched. Analysis of the time required for eggs to hatch after irradiation (residual development time) showed that hatching of eggs after exposure to high doses of gamma radiation was associated with short residual development time. Since short residual development time means that the egg was irradiated at a late developmental stage, this suggests that eggs were more tolerant to radiation late in development. This was also confirmed in another experiment in which stage of development at irradiation was controlled. No eggs irradiated at the early developmental stage hatched, and only one egg at middle stage hatched, while eggs irradiated in the late stage hatched at a rate indistinguishable from controls. This suggests that the eggs are more sensitive to radiation in the early stages of development, or that tolerance to radiation is acquired only late in development, shortly before the eggs hatch, hypotheses that are not mutually exclusive. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering specific cell cycle phases and developmental stages in studies of tolerance to radiation in tardigrades, and the potential importance of embryonic studies in revealing the mechanisms behind the radiation tolerance of tardigrades and other cryptobiotic animals.
|
|