title: Anhydrobiosis: plant desiccation gene found in a nematode.
abstract: When subjected to drought conditions, some organisms enter a state of suspended animation known as anhydrobiosis, surviving for indefinite periods until rehydration allows them to resume normal metabolism. We have identified a gene in the anhydrobiotic nematode Aphelenchus avenae that is upregulated in response to desiccation stress and whose encoded protein shares sequence similarity with a late-embryonic gene that is induced in many plants when they are deprived of water. This finding suggests that animals and plants that undergo anhydrobiosis may use common protective strategies against dehydration, and provides a unifying insight into the mechanism of anhydrobiosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Institute of Bioengineering and Agroecology, National University of Ireland Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tunnacliffe
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burnell
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D017343:Genes, Plant; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009348:Nematoda / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C066246:late embryogenesis abundant protein, plant; D014867:Water; D013395:Sucrose