The encysted embryos (cysts) of the crustacean Artemia franciscana have several molecular mechanisms to enable anhydrobiosis – life without water. This study examines the function of group 1 Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins, hydrophilic unstructured proteins which accumulate in the stress-tolerant cysts of A. franciscana. Group 1 LEA proteins were knocked down in cysts using RNA interference. Cysts without group 1 LEA proteins exhibited low survival following desiccation and/or freezing, suggesting a role for these proteins in tolerance of low water conditions. In contrast, cysts with or without group 1 LEA proteins responded similarly to hydrogen peroxide exposure , indicating little to no function in reducing damage due to oxidative stress. This is the first in vivo functional study of group 1 LEA proteins in an animal, and may have applied significance in aquaculture, where Artemia is an important feed source, and in the cryopreservation of cells for therapeutic applications.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:NSHD.ca#10222/45785 |
| Date | 07 March 2014 |
| Creators | Toxopeus, Jantina |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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