title: Comparative genome sequencing reveals genomic signature of extreme desiccation tolerance in the anhydrobiotic midge.
abstract: Anhydrobiosis represents an extreme example of tolerance adaptation to water loss, where an organism can survive in an ametabolic state until water returns. Here we report the first comparative analysis examining the genomic background of extreme desiccation tolerance, which is exclusively found in larvae of the only anhydrobiotic insect, Polypedilum vanderplanki. We compare the genomes of P. vanderplanki and a congeneric desiccation-sensitive midge P. nubifer. We determine that the genome of the anhydrobiotic species specifically contains clusters of multi-copy genes with products that act as molecular shields. In addition, the genome possesses several groups of genes with high similarity to known protective proteins. However, these genes are located in distinct paralogous clusters in the genome apart from the classical orthologues of the corresponding genes shared by both chironomids and other insects. The transcripts of these clustered paralogues contribute to a large majority of the mRNA pool in the desiccating larvae and most likely define successful anhydrobiosis. Comparison of expression patterns of orthologues between two chironomid species provides evidence for the existence of desiccation-specific gene expression systems in P. vanderplanki.
authors.affiliation: 1] National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan [2] Institute of Fundamental Biology and Medicine, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia [3] ISS Science Project Office, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tsukuba 305-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gusev
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suetsugu
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cornette
authors.affiliation: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia [2] A. N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia [3] Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia.
authors.forename: Maria D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Logacheva
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia [2] Life Sciences Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Alexey S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kondrashov
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia [2] Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia [3] Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia.
authors.forename: Aleksey A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Penin
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hatanaka
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuta
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimura
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanamori
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katayose
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Institute of Fundamental Biology and Medicine, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shagimardanova
authors.affiliation: Scientific Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Medicine, Federal Bio-Medical Agency of Russia, Moscow 119828, Russia.
authors.forename: Dmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alexeev
authors.affiliation: Scientific Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Medicine, Federal Bio-Medical Agency of Russia, Moscow 119828, Russia.
authors.forename: Vadim
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Govorun
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wisecaver
authors.affiliation: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mikheyev
authors.affiliation: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
authors.affiliation: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujie
authors.affiliation: Advanced Science Research Center, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.affiliation: 1] National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan [2] Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shigenobu
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Golygina
authors.affiliation: 1] National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan [2] Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuyasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasebe
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.affiliation: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Nori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Tsukuba 305-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikawada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002683:Chironomidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D059006:Chromosomes, Insect / Q000737:chemistry*; D003890:Desiccation; D015870:Gene Expression; D059646:Genome Size; D049750:Genome, Insect; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013879:Thioredoxins / Q000235:genetics; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D014867:Water; D013879:Thioredoxins; D008780:Methyltransferases